Pokemon: Adventures in Hoenn
by SolanaLeonhart
Summary: Wally is a boy who loves pokemon and dreams of being a trainer. Though his sickness is quite a possible block to that issue, he hasn't given up hope. Here he will meet the friends and pokemon who help make his dreams a reality.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, I got to play Alpha Sapphire and it was great fun. Going through my old Pokemon Emerald file and then watching some videos had me wondering, what would it be like if Wally was in the anime? Then this came to mind and I really wanted to try working on it so here were are. I hope you like it._

* * *

Petalburg City was bustling as ever with activity. This tended to include the pokemon center, and Nurse Joy was as usual, on top of things. This was helped by the help she received from her partners, one of them being her Chansey.

The pink haired woman smiled when a boy with somewhat messy green hair and light blue eyes approached her. ''There you are, did everything go all right? How's Taillow?''

''I-It went okay...you were right. Taillow's energetic again but it needs to avoid flying for long periods, it almost crashed just now, Chansey's watching over things now.''

''Good to hear.'' She returned, wheeling the cart she was holding back near the counter. The Wingull sitting near one of the sections that held pokeballs smiled when it saw the boy and flew up to him, chirping happily.

The boy smiled as it landed on his shoulder, patting its head ''Hey, glad to see you're better.'' The pokemon chirped happily back in return.

Joy watched the interaction with a growing smile ''Thanks in part to you. You've really come a long way since we started, Wally.''

''Ah...y-you think so?'' He looked embarrassed. ''I-it wasn't really much...I just did what you said.''

Since he has asked for her help in learning about pokemon, Nurse Joy had given Wally a few books to get him started. One day, he happened to be here to return a book when a Wurmple they happened to be treating got up in a panic and made to flee. Wally happened to find the pokemon curled up in a corner and managed to calm it down and helped get it back to finish treatment. Ever since, he would occasionally help out around the center with the pokemon and he was clearly learning quite a lot.

''Nice to see you're as modest as ever, I stand by my statement though.'' Nurse Joy assured.

''Th-thank you...'' Wally smiled shyly. ''...um, I'll need to be going. See you again, Nurse Joy.''

''Mmhm, till then.''

* * *

It was just a little after he left the center that Wally bumped into someone who happened to be running nearby, knocking them both down.

''I'm sorry...'' Wally started.

''Nah, it's my fault, I wasn't looking.'' A boy with black hair and dark brown eyes assured, the Pikachu sitting on his shoulder seemed to agree, by the look it gave him then. The boy stood and helped Wally up. ''I was just so excited to get to the gym.''

''Oh...w-well, I heard th-there's a shortcut to the street leading to it nearby, you're not far off.'' Wally offered.

''Really? Sounds great, can you show me where?'' The boy asked eagerly.

Wally nodded back and began leading them ''Um, are you...going to enter the Hoenn League?''

''Sure am, this is going to be my first challenge in the region!''

''Heeeh...w-wait, so you're not from here?''

''Pikachu and I came all the way from Kanto.'' The boy informed, his partner waved at the other then. ''My name's Ash from Pallet Town.''

''I'm Wally, nice to meet you.''

''Heh, back at you!''

''S-so...can you tell me, what it's like being a trainer?'' Wally asked after a few moments.

''Sure! It's great, we get to go on all sorts of adventures and meet a lot of friends. Pikachu here is my best bud.'' Ash informed, Wally gave a small smile and stroked the mouse's head, earning a happy grin in return. ''Are you going to be a trainer?''

''Ah...I wish I could be but...'' Wally looked down for a moment. ''...I'm not sure it's possible.''

Ash gave him a quizzical look while Pikachu blinked, both wondering why. Wally continued before either could ask, pointing at the gym. ''Here we are.''

* * *

It didn't seem like anyone was there, noticing the door at the other side of the hall before he heard some footsteps. Ash approached it. ''Hello, anyone there?''

A boy about nine with dark blue hair and dark eyes with glasses poked his head out, blinking when he saw the new arrivals ''Who are you?''

''My name's Ash, I was looking to challenge the gym leader.''

''Well...'' The boy paused, his eyes widening. ''...wait, I know you! You're the guy who lost in the Silver Conference's second round! Your Charizard was awesome! I think your name was...Alf?''

Ash frowned ''Hey, I just said my name and it was the second round of the victory tournament!''

''Point is, you lost.'' The boy smirked back, ignoring Ash's irritated look. ''And it was such a shame...I know a few strategies that could've helped you win.''

''Yeah, right! What makes you so good anyway?''

''Well, I'd have to be. I'm the Petalburg Gym Leader.'' The boy informed, still smug.

''You are?!'' Ash's eyes widened. ''Well, I'm here to...''

Wally raised an eye, knowing something was off. Besides having heard of the gym leader, there was another very simple reason that had him speaking up then. ''T-that...doesn't sound right. Um, Ash? Isn't the legal age of consent for trainers ten years old at least? He sure doesn't look that age.''

Ash blinked, recalling the fact as well ''So he's lying?''

The boy looked embarrassed, knowing his act was shot. He decided to try and bluster his way through ''Shouldn't it be obvious? I don't even have my own pokemon. Nice to see someone who uses their head. Are you sure you're up to challenging the gym leader, Alf? Besides the fact that you can't see through something like that, you lost in the Johto league's second round.''

''That's not my name! And for the last time, it was the second round of the victory tournament!'' The boy retorted. ''You've got some nerve, acting like that now. Where's the gym leader?''

A new voice cut in before the boy could respond ''Max? What's going on?''

A girl with brown hair and blue eyes entered, frowning in confusion at the scene before her.

* * *

The girl was Max's older sister May, Ash's traveling companion as of a few days ago. She had been quick to straighten the mess out and scold her brother before explaining that the real gym leader was in fact their father, Norman.

Ash looked annoyed as Max introduced him with the wrong interpretation ''Are you going to keep doing this? You're wrong, again!''

''I wouldn't go getting high and mighty. You couldn't even think enough to see that I wasn't the gym leader, your friend figured it out a lot faster. Are you all that good?''

His mother Caroline spoke before Ash could reply ''That's too far, Max. You shouldn't be proud of what you did back there anyway, enough.''

''Sorry...'' The boy muttered.

''Anyway...'' Caroline looked back at the older boys. ''...your parents told us about you, Wally. It's nice to put a face to the name. You're both welcome to join us for lunch.''

''Oh, th-thank you...'' Wally started.

Ash smiled ''Thanks!''

''So what pokemon did you choose, May?'' Norman asked a while after they settled at the table.

''I'll show you.'' She opened her pokeball and released Torchic. ''Isn't it the cutest?''

''Absolutely. What a darling.'' Caroline smiled.

''Tor!'' The fire starter beamed at her.

Max's reaction was the opposite, the disappointment clear in his tone as he spoke ''You picked Torchic? I think it should've been Treecko, that's the best starter! Mudkip would've been better too...''

As you might expect, Torchic didn't take too well to that, responding by pecking Max repeatedly then.

''That's a little uncalled for.'' Wally remarked, patting the fire type's head, making Torchic look up at him curiously. ''I heard about the starter pokemon, they all sound great.'' Torchic beamed at his gentle touch and leaned closer, eliciting a bemused smile from the boy.

''Yeah, we saw them all at the lab.'' Ash recalled. ''I bet it would be cool to have any of them.''

Wally nodded in agreement. Norman watched their interaction, noting how Wally seemed to handle the pokemon. This made him remember something Wally's father mentioned to him days ago.

 _'Hm...I'll see what I can do to help.'_ He thought.

* * *

As they ate lunch, Ash told them a bit about his journey. The tales left Max amazed and jealous while Wally seemed curious to hear more. Norman was intrigued.

''So how many badges do you have?''

''This is the first gym we're challenging in the region.'' Ash admitted. ''Pikachu and I came all the way to turn over a new leaf.''

''Hmm...well, to get my badge you'd need to challenge me with three or more pokemon.'' Norman remarked, seeing the boy's disappointment prompted him to continue. ''There's no need for that, just go on and train some more before our battle. That being said, I see no reason we can't simply have a battle for fun now. What do you say?''

Ash perked up, liking the idea ''That sounds good!''

With that, they headed back to the gym. Ash and Norman took different sides of the battlefield and released their pokemon. The first of course used Pikachu while the second sent out a Vigoroth. It had been an intense battle, with Vigoroth showcasing quite the speed and power. Not that Pikachu was a slouch either, both gave it their all. Norman and Vigoroth won in the end, making full use of their experience over the opponents.

''That was really good.'' The man praised. ''Just take some time and work to improve, I'd be happy to challenge you then.''

''Thanks, Norman.'' Ash returned.

Norman nodded back, moving things along ''Now Wally, your father told me you suggested asking for my help in catching a pokemon?''

''Ah...yeah.'' The boy admitted. ''I-I've been meaning to ask but...it didn't seem like a good time before.''

''My, you're so polite.'' Caroline smiled, noting how the boy looked bashful.

''Hey yeah, you said something about not being able to go on a journey before...'' Ash remembered.

Wally nodded ''The truth is, I'm moving soon...I'm supposed to go and stay with my relatives in Verdanturf town for a while. I thought it might be nice to have a friend...''

Ash and Norman both noted the wording, pleased that he was already willing to consider the pokemon a friend from the start. ''Hold on...'' May looked confused. ''...you'd obviously have a good time on a journey, why didn't you go?''

''He can't, May.'' Her mother informed. ''Wally's sick, that's the whole reason he's moving, it's to help his treatment and recovery along.''

''Oh...'' The kids were left sympathetic. They could tell that Wally cared about pokemon and he would love to have some of his own. It sounded like he had it rough.

''Um, the thing is...I'd like to get one but...I don't know how. Th-that's why I thought of asking you.'' Wally stated.

''I see...in that case, I'd be happy to help.'' Norman assured, grinning when the boy smiled at the response.

''Hey, I wanna help!'' Ash declared.

''So do I.'' May smiled.

''Me too!'' Max added.

''Well then, why don't we all go and see about finding a pokemon?'' Caroline suggested.

Wally, albeit feeling surprised by all this, smiled at them ''Thank you!''

* * *

And so they spread out through the woods to search. It wouldn't be too complicated seeing as Wally had no intention of being picky but at the same time, they agreed to do their best to help him find a suitable choice. A couple of the possibilities were...

''Hey, look at that!'' Max pointed at a Taillow sitting on a tree branch. ''Wouldn't it be a good choice for Wally?''

His father watched the pokemon for a few seconds before responding ''I don't know, Max...It doesn't seem friendly at all. If anything, I'd imagine a pokemon like that would need a more experienced trainer.''

''Yes, it does look it would give anyone a hard time if you ask me.'' Caroline added.

After observing the Taillow for a bit, Max had to agree. Just noticing them had the pokemon scowl and turn its head ''Yeah, on second thought that was a bad idea...''

Wally was with Ash, Pikachu and May nearby, also searching the area. The first paused upon seeing a Zigzagoon jumping out of a bush and scampering into another. ''How about that one, guys?''

''I'm...not really sure...'' Wally trailed off.

May hummed in thought ''Yeah, it seems really energetic, Ash. That might be a little too much. Don't you think we should find a more...I don't know'' She paused to think of a suitable word ''...easy going pokemon?''

''All right,'' Ash readily accepted that. ''Let's keep looking then!''

* * *

It didn't look like they would have much luck soon. Oddly enough, for some reason the woods seemed a little too empty but no one could be sure why.

Wally walked to a small grove, having heard movement from the area just a few seconds ago. But there was no pokemon in sight. Dismissing it as his imagination, the boy sighed.

He wondered if he could find a pokemon soon. Wally mentally shook himself, he didn't want to give up now, it couldn't be that simple. Sensing a familiar wave of weariness washing over him prompted the boy to sit down on a tree stump, deciding to get a few minutes to rest.

Meeting Ash and getting to know him got Wally all the more into this idea, even if he didn't get to travel soon, he would love to meet a pokemon who would be friend. He could imagine how much fun it would be.

The sound of rustling bushes snapped him out of his thoughts, making him look around again. A second later, a Ralts stepped out of the bushes to his far left, watching the boy. Wally blinked twice, unsure of what to make of this.

''Um, hi...'' He said after a few moments. The pokemon looked vaguely familiar and he was sure he'd seen a picture in a book before. ''...I didn't think I'd find a pokemon like you here. You're...a Ralts, right?''

''Raa!'' The pokemon nodded, smiling.

Wally began to smile ''...You seem nice. I'm sorry if I disturbed you.'' But Ralts shook its head and walked closer, after a moment of though, Wally stroked its head. He started as Ralts' horn glowed then, leaving him confused, though Ralts was apparently happy as its smile grew wider.

''Wally?'' Ash and Pikachu found the two then, shortly followed by Norman. ''Oh hey, you found a pokemon!''

''What do you know, a Ralts!'' Norman looked bemused. ''Now that's a rare sight around these parts.''

''A Ralts, huh?'' Ash took out of his pokedex and scanned it.

 **''Ralts, the feeling pokemon. If its horns capture the warm feelings of people or pokemon, its body warms up slightly**.'' The machine buzzed.

Wally blinked at the explanation. So that was what the glowing horn meant? Ralts had certainly felt warm just now...

''It seems to like you.'' Norman remarked. ''Do you want to get Ralts, Wally?''

''Well...'' The boy was distracted as the feeling pokemon made a confused noise and tilted its head. ''...ah, you see...''

Max came running then ''Guys, we've got trouble. Torchic and Vigoroth were stolen!''

* * *

Max was quick to take them to the clearing what happened and the first thing everyone saw was the Meowth shaped balloon that soared into the air.

The sight was unfamiliar to everyone except Ash and May.

''It's those creeps again...'' The latter scowled.

''Team Rocket!'' Ash glared at the three people in the balloon. One was a woman with long magenta colored hair and blue eyes, the second a man with blue hair and green eyes, both wore what looked like a uniform, white clothes with a pink R in the center of their shirts. Between them stood a Meowth, who smirked.

''You're too late, twerp! Look what we go!'' The pokemon gestured to the cage connected to the balloon, which held Torchic and Vigoroth.

''Did that Meowth just talk?'' Caroline looked stunned.

''Who cares about that now? We've gotta stop them!'' May exclaimed.

''You can try, but you'll fail!'' The man smirked.

The woman laughed ''Prepare for trouble!''

''And make it double!'' He carried on.

''To protect the world from devastation!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce all the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reaches to the stars above!''

''Jessie!''

''James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash speed towards the light!''

''Surrender to those great efforts or to a fight!''

''Meowth, that's right!'' The Meowth chirped.

''Wobuffet!'' The blue pokemon standing behind them chimed in.

''Team Rocket?'' Norman looked confused. ''I heard of that organization but I thought they were in Kanto.''

''That's actually true.'' Ash confirmed. ''It's just that those three like to come after me to steal Pikachu.''

''And that's just what we're going to do! Along with that little one over there!'' Jessie added, spotting Ralts, who had apparently decided to come along with the group.

The feeling pokemon was left unnerved by the sudden attention and trouble, though it was surprised when Wally stepped up in front of it, blocking Team Rocket's view. Ralts stared at the boy, who was clearly willing to protect it. The feeling pokemon had approached him earlier hesitantly but it was now more sure than ever that the green haired boy was a good person.

''Pika pika!'' Pikachu patted its shoulder, offering some encouraging words that had Ralts smiling back and nodding.

''You're not getting away, Team Rocket!'' Ash snapped.

''You'll be eating your words, twerp. Go Arbok!'' Jessie tossed a pokeball.

''Go Weezing!'' James added, the two pokemon jumping down to face Pikachu and the pokemon began to battle.

Norman grit his teeth ''Well, you're not stealing Vigoroth or my daughter's pokemon. Brick Break, now!''

Vigoroth raised its arms, which began to glow as it proceeded to hammer the cage repeatedly. Team Rocket began to panic as the attacks caused the balloon to rock in place and immediately ordered Arbok and Weezing to stop Vigoroth instead.

The two poison types turned their attention towards the cage and prepared to attack...

Wally looked at Ralts ''Would please help us? I-I know there's not much I can do but I don't want to just watch. Can you make sure they don't hurt Vigoroth?''

Ralts nodded, giving him a reassuring smile before turning back to the poison types. A second later, the two stopped in mid-air, cloaked in a blue aura before slammed into a tree.

''Wow, what was that?'' May wondered.

''It's Ralts' Confusion attack!'' Max exclaimed with a smile.

''Thanks, that was great.'' Wally told the feeling pokemon, who grinned in return.

The intervention gave Vigoroth the window it needed, allowing it to break the cage. Making a hole between the bars, Vigoroth grabbed Torchic and jumped down, bringing them both to safety.

''Torchic!'' May ran and picked the pokemon up. ''Are you okay? I'm sorry I let you go through that...''

''Tor!'' Torchic smiled and nuzzled her, clearly not blaming her for a thing.

Team Rocket were left angry, Jessie glared down at them and cried ''We're not finished yet, Arbok, Poison Sting!''

''Weezing, use Sludge Bomb!'' James cried.

''Dodge it, Pikachu!'' Ash ordered.

''You too, Vigoroth!'' Norman added. The pokemon smoothly got out of the way. ''Now use Headbutt!''

''Pikachu, Quick Attack!'' The mouse pokemon shot up like an arrow at the command, slamming Weezing's face and sending him flying. At the same time, Vigoroth's Headbutt rammed Arbok hard.

''May, you've got to help out!'' Max urged.

''Right!'' She ordered Torchic to attack, but for some reason it just hit Max. May was left wondering if Torchic was still mad at her brother for his earlier comments.

In the midst of all the commotion, the three missed Meowth trying to sneak up on the fire type. Fortunately, they had some help in the form of Ralts, who at Wally's request, got Torchic out of the Scratch Cat pokemon's way with Teleport.

''You little pest!'' Meowth growled. ''You're not getting in the way again!''

Ralts frowned before proceeding to trap the normal type in a Confusion attack and throw it back to its comrades.

''Thanks, you guys!'' May smiled.

''Tor Chic!'' Torchic chirped happily, with the two smiling back in return.

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Vigoroth were still battling. The first proceeded to bash Arbok hard in the head while the second nailed Weezing with a slew of Fury Swipes, throwing both pokemon back.

''Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!'' Ash commanded.

The mouse pokemon fired a powerful blast of electricity that hit the balloon hard and sent Team Rocket flying with a cry of 'We're blasting off again!'

''Glad that's over.'' May smiled. ''Great to see you're okay, Torchic.'' Her pokemon chirped and jumped to her arms, making her laugh.

''It's nice to see you're getting along.'' Her father remarked.

''They're not the only ones.'' Caroline looked at Wally, who was talking to Ralts.

''Thanks a lot for the help, that was really nice of you.''

''Raa!'' Ralts beamed back.

''You know, you two look like you're friends already.'' Max noted.

May hummed in agreement ''You should catch Ralts, Wally!''

Ash, who noticed Ralts' obvious curiosity at this, explained ''See, we actually came to help Wally find a pokemon.''

Ralts nodded back, finally understanding what this was about. It turned to Wally as the boy walked over ''So...since you know the deal, would you come with me? I think we could be great friends.''

The feeling pokemon's response both surprised and amused them. Why? Because it used its powers to lift the pokeball on Wally's belt to his hand.

''That's one way to handle it.'' Caroline giggled.

Wally smiled at the obvious hint and enlarged the pokeball, tapping it to Ralts' forehead. The device trapped it, shaking a little before coming to a stop, signifying a successful capture.

''You did it, Wally!'' Ash grinned.

''Pika chu!'' Pikachu smiled, just as pleased with the result.

''I get the feeling you guys are going to be real good partners!'' Max remarked.

''So do I. Ralts seems like a fine pokemon.'' Norman smiled.

''Yeah...'' Wally was delighted. ''...thanks so much.''

* * *

Norman and Caroline had to head back to see to the gym shortly, leaving Ash, Pikachu, May, Max and Wally on their own. They had headed to the green haired boy's home, wanting to see what his family would say to all that happened.

While they were surprised, Wally's parents were happy to know what happened, pleased to see that their son had found what he wanted. Ralts seemed like a sweet pokemon and everyone agreed that it would fit in nicely.

''Thank you all.'' Wally's mother, Diana, smiled. ''We really appreciate what you've done for our child.''

''Oh, it's no big deal, Ma'am.'' Ash waved it off. ''Wally's the one who did most of the work anyway.''

''Yeah, I have to say those two look like a match made in heaven.'' May remarked, glancing at Wally, who was talking to Ralts not too far away.

''I couldn't agree more.'' Wally's father Vincent, chuckled, pleased to see how happy their son was at the development.

The subjects of their talk rejoined them in time to hear Ash ask ''So Wally's really leaving soon?''

''Yeah, it's been hard but I think Verdanturf town is going to do him plenty of good. One of the doctors is a really good friend of ours and he promised to help Wally.'' Diana informed.

''That's good!'' Max looked at the boy. ''Hey, maybe you can even go on a journey with Ralts once you get better.''

''Nice idea, Max.'' May agreed, thinking the boy could use something to look forward to.

''Yeah, maybe you'll even get to join us then!'' Ash said brightly.

Wally couldn't help but smile ''That sounds nice.''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _This was just a random idea but it's actually turning out to be fun to work with. I'm going to be mostly going with the anime but I'll probably have some things from the games here and there along with my own ideas. Anyone familiar with my work would know that I like to add my own twists, which is also happening here. Next chapter starts near Verdanturf Town where they all meet up again._


	2. Chapter 2

_beenjammin: Thanks. I haven't really thought about pairings much but we'll see._

 _MaMcMu: Oh, thanks! The idea sounds good but it isn't really doable considering how I've planned things. I think this chapter could prove my point._

* * *

Ash, May, Max and Brock were on their way to Verdanturf town. The first three had started traveling together just before leaving Petalburg and they were soon joined by Ash's old friend Brock. Months had passed and they had come a good way since then, with Ash progressing along the gym challenge and May learning and growing as a coordinator.

''I can't wait for the contest!'' May smiled. ''I'm going to win it for sure!''

''Someone's confident.'' Max remarked with a bemused look.

''Well, of course! If I don't believe it, who would?'' She returned. ''Anyway, are we close to the town, Max?''

''Yup, we're not far off.''

Ash had a thought ''Hey, Verdanturf's that town Wally's supposed to be living in now, right? You guys wanna go visit him too?''

''Sure!'' The siblings replied while Pikachu nodded.

''So who's this friend of yours?'' Brock asked curiously.

''Oh, this was before we met you. See...'' Max started to explain.

* * *

Wally stared at the bag of tools ''They...really want all this?''

''Mmhm...'' His cousin Wanda returned, picking the bag up. ''...Dad says people look forward to this caravan coming and it's always good to keep extras in stock.''

The two smiled as Ralts teleported over to them, Wanda went on ''Thanks for the help, you two. You've both come a long way since you came to stay with us. Ralts, you're definitely getting stronger.''

''Raa!'' The feeling pokemon beamed at the praise while Wally smiled.

The three had left the town to get to the caravan that came around the area annually. It sold supplies and items that were hard to get usually around here, so it was common for people to seek it out. Ralts was helping by teleporting everything Wally and Wanda chose back to their home. While the feeling pokemon had some trouble teleporting certain things, like people, objects up to a certain weight were of no trouble.

''Well, we finished up with the requests. How about I get to showing you that stuff I mentioned before?'' Wanda began guiding them around the people then.

''Ah, here we are...'' She paused, seeing a particular side that had items like berries, pokeballs and other things that were good for trainers and pokemon. ''...all right, now you pick what you want.''

Wally blinked ''R-really?''

''Of course, it's my way to thank you. I'm sure you'd find something good here.''

''Ah, thanks! Well...''

* * *

''Oh man, what do we do?'' Max frowned.

After finishing another battle with Team Rocket, the group was left in trouble as May's Skitty had inhaled a lot of Seviper's Haze. The thing was, they still hadn't reached Verdanturf and there was no pokemon center in the area.

''I guess we'll just have to hurry and hope we get there...'' Ash blinked as he felt a tug on his pant leg, making him look down to see a Ralts smiling at him.

Pikachu smiled ''Pika!'' He jumped down to the pokemon's level with Ralts waving at him in greeting.

''Pikachu, you know that Ralts?'' Max looked confused.

''No wonder you took off like that...''

The group started at the new voice making them look back to find Wally and Wanda arriving then.

May blinked ''Wally?''

The boy smiled ''Hi, you guys, great to see you.''

Ash grinned back ''Great to see you too.''

''Totally!'' Max smiled. ''I didn't know you had a sister.''

Wanda giggled ''We get that a lot. I'm his cousin actually. Judging by the description, you must be the friends Wally told me about back from Petalburg. It's nice to meet you.''

Brock jumped in suddenly ''It's great to meet you, lovely lady. Would you honor us by giving your name?''

''Oh...um, sure, it's Wanda...'' She trailed off, looking thoroughly bewildered.

''I see! I'm Brock, even among all this merchandise, I cannot find something that is suitable of...''

He never got to finish as Max pulled his ear and dragged him away ''We just met her, don't make things complicated!''

''I'm sorry about him...'' May sighed. ''...hey, is there really no pokemon center around here?''

''No, I'm afraid there's one in Verdanturf.'' Wanda noted her expression darkening then, which prompted her to continue. ''But there is that pokemon spa center, it's infamous around here.''

''Spa center?''

She nodded ''The owner is a skilled breeder and she helped many pokemon in the past.''

''Yeah, she's a good friend. We can...'' Wally faltered and looked at Wanda, who smiled.

''It's fine, go ahead. We're done anyway, there's no trouble.''

He smiled back ''Thanks, Wanda.''

* * *

''I see...'' Wally trailed off when Ash and May explained what happened. ''...well, don't worry, it's just like Wanda said. I think Dr. Abby will be able to help your Skitty.''

''I hope you're right...'' May trailed off.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the center, just in time to see a very large woman with an Aron walking away. Moments later, a man with a Makuhita came out the door.

''Oh, hey Wally.'' He said, apparently a little surprised to see the boy. ''Are they friends of yours?''

The boy nodded back ''D-do you know if Dr. Abby's free, Ernie? We could really use her help.''

''Well then you've got good timing, go right ahead.''

* * *

As he said, Dr. Abby was free and also very accommodating as she was quick to have May set Skitty on a table so they could get to work.

''Wow!'' Brock gushed. ''Hello there, my beauty. I'm truly fortunate to be in your amazing presence...''

Once again, that was as far as he got because Max pulled him away. ''Cut that out! We're here to help Skitty, remember?''

Wally looked confused ''Um, does this...happen a lot?''

''Way too many times to count.'' Ash replied flatly.

''Pika Pikachu.'' Pikachu nodded, sounding just as exasperated.

''Anyway...I'll get to work.'' Abby proceeded to examine Skitty, speaking after almost a minute. ''I see...so it's inhaled too much smoke. Well then, let's begin.''

They watched gently and carefully massage Skitty's back, eventually the pokemon began to relax, her breathing getting easier. Abby looked back at the group ''Skitty will be just fine after some rest.''

May's face lit up ''Thank you!''

''Just doing my job.'' She returned pleasantly.

A Delcatty walked in after a few moments, stopping near Abby, Wally and Ralts. Wally smiled at the new comer ''Hi, Joanie.'' Ralts waved and chirped a greeting while the pokemon purred happily back, nuzzling Wally's hand.

Max noted how the Delcatty was obviously familiar with the pair ''So you're a regular in the center, Wally?''

The boy nodded ''Ever since Ralts and I got busy training. Dr. Abby really helped us out.''

''Oh, I don't know about that.'' Abby smiled. ''I just gave you some advice, the two of you are definitely coming into your own.''

''Heeeh, it really does seem like you guys are stronger.'' Ash remarked.

''O-oh, I don't know...'' Wally trailed off.

May made to speak but then she spotted a picture of Abby with a Skitty nearby, a trophy in between them. ''Wait, that's a...'' She looked at Abby then. ''...I thought something sounded familiar. You're a Top Coordinator!''

''That's right.'' Abby returned. ''So you've heard of me?''

''Yeah! The article I found was all about how you performed in contests and made your way through them with Joanie as your star pokemon. You two are practically legends.'' The brunette recalled, noting how Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Max looked impressed. Wally and Ralts less so but she had a feeling they knew before. ''It all sounds amazing, I wanted to be like you. Can I see your awards?''

''Of course you can.''

* * *

''Wow...'' May breathed as she stared at the display. ''...so that's the Grand Festival trophy. Abby, what was it like to compete in contests?''

''It was among the best times of my life.'' She replied readily. ''We worked hard to prepare for everyone of them. Joanie's adaptable so I could come up with a number of acts, her main one though was juggling with her tail. It always got us a perfect score. I taught her a variety of attacks for every situation.''

''I bet that's a sight to see.'' Brock remarked.

''Joanie must be super tough.'' Ash added.

Wally remembered the times Joanie had helped Ralts train ''Yeah...you should see her battle. Not only is she tough, Joanie can really make put on an amazing show.''

May petted the Delcatty ''I'll bet, Joanie's beautiful.''

''Thank you.'' Abby smiled.

''I have to admit, I'm curious.'' Brock started. ''How did you start working here in the first place, Abby?''

''Well...'' The woman leaned back. ''...I was just on my back from a contest when I was found by a trainer. I challenged the trainer but we lost, I rushed to find a way to help Joanie and that's when I came across this place. The previous owner was such a kind person. Thanks to his skill, Joanie was perfectly fine the following day. After seeing that, I just had to learn how he did it. He agreed to teach me and later on, he asked me to take over this place and I agreed. That was the day he gave me a Moon Stone and I used it on Joanie, we've been working here ever since.''

''Wow...''

Abby's face lit up ''...I have an idea. Would you all come with me?''

* * *

''You want to teach Skitty the juggling act?'' Max clarified, surprised.

Abby nodded and held up two orange balls to the pink cat, who seemed confused. ''I'm going to throw those, could you try tossing them around with your tail?''

Skitty glanced at her tail before nodding with a smile. Abby smiled back and tossed one ball, with Skitty catching it and deftly juggling then, to the group's surprise. It also worked when Abby threw in the second ball.

''Very good!''

''Yeah, you go, Skitty!'' May smiled.

Her pokemon mewled happily but then the balls fell down. Ash tilted his head as he picked one up ''Guess she needs more practice.''

''Then let's get to it!'' The brunette took a ball from him and got the other before tossing them. ''Again, Skitty!''

Oddly enough, this time nothing happened, Skitty didn't react and the balls fell down.

''What happened?'' May frowned.

Ralts levitated the balls back to her with his psychic powers. ''Practice makes perfect, right?'' Wally reminded.

She smiled back ''Right.''

* * *

Abby was called in by the reception worker to see about some new customers. Oddly enough, their pokemon was completely wrapped up in bandages. Her confusion was cleared up when the customers removed the bandages to show that it was actually a Meowth and she got to work.

While she was busy, she was joined by Ash, Wally and the others along with their pokemon and Joanie.

''My, they're so cute!'' The female customer gushed.

''Yes. Don't you just love them? What darlings.'' The male customer added.

''Thank you.'' Abby smiled, turning back to Meowth. Just then, they slipped collars around the two feline pokemon's necks. ''So how does it feel?''

''Meow...it feels so good!''

''That's great...''

Everyone was staring at the pokemon in shock, now realizing that he had spoken. Meowth on the other hand, seemed frightened. Abby looked shocked as the fact sank in ''Did...did it just...?''

Most of those present knew just what this meant. Max scowled ''Not again!''

Meowth jumped back to the two customers, who shed their disguise, revealing Jessie and James.

''Prepare for trouble!''

''And make it double!''

''To protect the world from devastation!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reaches to the stars above!''

''Jessie!''

''James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash speed towards the light!''

''Surrender to these great efforts or to a fight!''

''Meowth, that's right!''

''Now with that out of the way, Seviper, use Haze!'' Jessie tossed a pokeball, with the poison type immediately creating a thick cloud that covered the room. Thought visibility was poor, they were able to see Team Rocket snatch Skitty and Joanie up and get away.

''After them!''

As they hurried after the band of thieves, it was quickly becoming clear that they were escaping on their balloon and that the captives were trapped in a cage thanks to those collars.

Jessie laughed ''Just try and stop us.''

If she had looked closer, she wouldn't be so smug.

Skitty seemed oddly calm but in contrast Joanie was clearly angry as she kept ramming the cage repeatedly. She ignored James and Meowth's attempts to calm her and kept at it. The Delcatty then proceeded to use Solarbeam to get them out, picking her pre-evolved form up and jumping, ignoring Team Rocket's shock.

The others ran up to meet with them, with May and Abby hugging their returned pokemon.

''Great job, Joanie!'' Wally said.

''Yeah, that was well done.'' Abby agreed, earning a happy purr from the Delcatty.

''That's not fair!'' Jessie whined, seeing their plans failing again.

''Give them back!'' Meowth demanded.

''Yeah, right! Who would do that?'' Max frowned up at him.

''We'll make you, Seviper, attack!''

''You too, Cacnea!'' James added.

Ash's eyes narrowed at the pair ''All right...''

''Hold on.'' Abby stepped up. ''I'd like to handle this.''

''Bite now!'' Jessie ordered.

Joanie jumped on Seviper's head and back flipped behind it. The poison type swung around to wrap itself around her in response.

Max's eyes widened ''Oh no...!''

''It's fine.'' Wally assured. Ralts seemed to agree as he patted the boy's knee in a reassuring manner.

Joanie wound up proving their faith to be well founded as she blasted Seviper back with Thunderbolt. James looked surprised but he quickly shook it off ''Use Needle Arm!''

Cacnea leaped at Joanie, spinning its arm around but Abby ordered a Solarbeam which hit in seconds, sending the grass type flying.

Meowth grimaced but he quickly grabbed another collar and held up a remote, aiming it towards Ralts. They were clearly friends with their targets and hey, they could get away with one other pokemon anyway.

''Let's see how you take this!''

Wally's eyes narrowed ''Magical Leaf and follow it up with Confusion!''

The feeling pokemon attacked at once, destroying the collar with the first attack before trapping Meowth in the psychic attack and hurling him back to the rest of Team Rocket.

''Way to go!'' Brock smiled.

''Wow, Ralts is a lot stronger!'' Max remarked with a smile.

''Don't start celebrating, Seviper, Bite that Delcatty now!'' Jessie cried.

''Cacnea, Pin Missile!'' James added.

Abby remained unfazed ''Joanie, use Blizzard!''

The missiles were all frozen by the fierce icy winds while Seviper was blown down. May stared on in awe ''Blizzard too? Wow!''

''Yeah, Joanie really does know all sorts of attacks...'' Ash looked amazed.

Jessie had Seviper go after Skitty next but it was tackled back by the little pokemon. Abby had a thought ''May, does Skitty by any chance know Blizzard?''

''No...''

''It's all right, we can teach you.'' She assured. ''Skitty, watch closely. Joanie?''

Her partner nodded back and proceeded to hit Team Rocket with the attack once more. Skitty tried to follow suit but that only resulted in coughing up some snow. May frowned ''I don't think we can do this...''

''It's all right, just try again.'' Abby returned.

''...Right. Skitty, use Blizzard!''

Skitty focused once more, this time getting the attack so well that it even froze Team Rocket where they stood. May grinned ''Good job!''

Ash seized the opportunity ''Pikachu, Thunder!''

His partner summoned a massive bolt of electricity that blasted the band of thieves and sent them flying. The next thing everyone heard was a cry of 'We're blasting off again!'

''No wonder Dr. Abby was a legendary coordinator. Joanie's a testament to her skill.'' Max remarked.

''I'll say.'' Brock agreed. ''That was great.''

''Thank you so much for helping Skitty. We're definitely going to win our next contest together!'' May beamed.

Abby smiled back ''Go for it, I think you'll be great.''

* * *

As they made to leave, the group stopped to talk to Abby...

''Thanks for today, I learned a lot from you.'' Brock admitted.

''I'm glad I could help, Brock. I can tell that you've got the makings of a fine breeder.'' Abby complimented. ''Seems like you've found a good group of friends, Wally.''

The boy nodded back with a smile and May spoke up ''Well, we've got to be on our way. I'm going to put all my effort into winning my way to the Grand Festival.''

''Good luck, to all of you as well.''

''Thanks!''

* * *

Wally and Ralts lead the group to Verdanturf Town and they all came to a stop at a street that lead to the pokemon center.

''You guys really have been working hard, huh? It sure looks like Ralts got tougher.'' Max remarked.

''I'd say Wally's changed too.'' May added.

''Ah...well, we've been trying...'' The boy said sheepishly while Ralts beamed.

''I wanna try and experience that.'' Ash said suddenly. ''Hey, would you guys battle us tomorrow?''

A surprised Wally looked at his partner, who nodded back before they looked at the boy ''You got it.''

''Great! Meet at the pokemon center, okay?''

Wally nodded back and Brock looked between the boys with a grin ''This'll be interesting. Tomorrow it is then.''

* * *

 _Well, that's that._

 _I hope this was good. I'm planning to have Wally join Ash and the others in their travels. The situation's complicated, I'm setting up for it. I've got another idea in the works to help. This is just part one for now, I hope you like it._


	3. Chapter 3

_Advance shipper: Huh, that's an idea. You're right in that they're similar. Well, like I said, this fic started out as a shot in the dark so I really didn't think pairiings much but I'll see what I can do._

 _beenjammin0421: Thanks! Yeah, about that...Wally leaving is happening but it's not so simple. I don't know about making Wally like Hope, if I did, that wouldn't be intentional. To be honest though, Wally never struck as the kind of character who would fight with his gut the way Ash does all the time. From what I learned about Wally in the game, he's been studying up on pokemon for a long time so I think it would fit._

* * *

As per their earlier agreement, Wally headed out to meet his friends at the pokemon center. He'd made sure to his aunt and uncle, who admitted that they wished to meet them. It was then that he happened to see Wanda also leaving and heading off to the town's outskirts. And he already knew just why.

Wanda's boyfriend Leon was a part of the Rusturf Tunnel project. It had been an endeavor to connect Verdanturf with Rustboro city. They had trouble proceeding as standard digging aggravated the wild pokemon in the area and made them attack the worked. Leon had found a way to make slow but sure progress and thanks to that, it was almost finished. Hard as it was on him, Leon was determined to finish this so he could visit Wanda more often, in return, she had made it a point to visit the worksite and help out as much as she could. Wally just hoped it would finish soon, he knew the two would be much happier then.

All in all, it seemed like a normal day. Things took a turn for the strange after he got to the pokemon center. The boy had been about to ask Nurse Joy about Ash and the others when he overheard two trainers nearby talking and agreeing that entering the contest this time around might be a bad idea.

Nurse Joy glanced at the two in concern ''I guess some would come to that conclusion...''

''What's going on, Nurse Joy?''

''Oh, Wally.'' She gave a small smile as the boy approached the counter. ''They're among the people who had an encounter with the Phantom Masked Coordinator.''

Wally blinked ''Who's that?''

''I'm not sure but he goes on to challenge coordinators and from what I've heard, He's very skilled with a strong Dusclops.'' The woman replied. ''Since he mentioned the contest, people are getting worried about the idea of facing him there. I know you've been getting stronger but try to avoid fighting him if possible.''

''Right...'' Wally wondered if May knew about this. ''...ah, about that, have you seen...''

Nurse Joy's eyes lit up with recognition as the descriptions given ''Oh, I've seen those four. They headed to the cafeteria a little while ago.''

Wally thanked her and went into said area. There were a few trainers in some seats but it was the following talk that lead him to the group he was seeking.

''Do you always have to eat like that? You could at least do it where we won't see.'' May scolded.

''Hey, you ate a lot too!'' Ash huffed.

''That's not the point, I can at least do it right. Have you heard of table manners?''

Max rolled his eyes at the squabbling, deciding not to put in his thought of the answer a resounding no. Brock just sighed ''Look, would-oh, you're here!''

The other three stopped at this and looked over to find a confused Wally watching them. ''Ah, is this a bad time?''

''Not at all.'' Brock assured, patting the empty spot next to him on the seat. Wally took the unspoken invite and joined them. ''They're just getting carried away. It doesn't help that we've been running into trouble so early on.''

''R-really? Like what?''

''Contest preparations.'' Max offered. ''Skitty's still having trouble with that juggling act so I told May they could save it for another contest. Of course she wouldn't listen.''

''That's because I know we can do it!'' May said firmly.

''See? And Ash keeps getting carried away about his next gym badge even though we're nowhere near a place with a gym.'' The boy added.

''So what?'' Ash shot him a dark look. ''You're the one who kept acting like I couldn't get all badges.''

''Well, I still say you can't. There's no way you'd win against our dad.''

''You're wrong!''

''You wish.''

Pikachu sighed in exasperation as the tension came back in full force, walking closer to Brock and Wally to find some calmer ground. He smiled as the latter began to stroke his head and gave a chirp of appreciation before settling on his lap.

''Looks like you're pretty good with pokemon.'' Brock remarked with a smile.

''Y-you think? It's just that Pikachu's real nice.'' Wally returned, getting a grin from the mouse pokemon in question.

''So from what I've heard, you're interested in going on a journey too.'' The breeder went on conversationally.

The boy nodded ''I don't...know if I can though...''

''Because of your sickness? You're looking a lot better than the last time we met and both you and Ralts are obviously stronger.'' May remarked.

''Thanks...'' The boy admitted. ''...at first I started getting to know about the Hoenn League and entering it sounded cool. After getting to know Dr. Abby, I'm curious about contests, what're they like?''

''Oh, loads of fun!'' The girl smiled. ''You should totally enter one. I bet Ralts could put on a nice show.''

''We could try...the truth is, I haven't really given traveling much thought lately. But if I am able...do you think Ralts and I could go with you guys?'' Wally inquired.

''Sure.'' Brock smiled.

''You bet!'' Ash replied with Pikachu nodding in agreement.

''Definitely.'' May agreed.

''Yeah, it'd be nice to have you guys.'' Max put in his piece.

Wally smiled back ''Thanks a lot...''

* * *

They headed out to the pokemon center's battlefield not long after that to continue training. First though, was Ash and Wally's battle.

Brock stood as the referee while the two trainers got ready. Pikachu jumped down and ran to the field while Wally sent out Ralts before the breeder called the battle's beginning.

Ash initiated the offense ''All right Pikachu, Quick Attack!''

Like an arrow, Pikachu sped up towards his opponent, who braced himself.

''Double Team!''

In a moment, Ralts created a number of illusionary clones that surprised Pikachu, forcing the mouse to stop as he lost sight of the target. Wally took the chance ''Follow up with Magical Leaf!''

''Ah, Pikachu get out of there!'' Ash called. The mouse pokemon endeavored to get away from the attack but it soon proved to be futile as the leaves followed him and scored a hit. Ash grimaced ''All right, use Thunderbolt!''

His partner shook himself and fired off the electric blast in retaliation. Wally's eyes narrowed a bit ''Ralts, stop it with Confusion!''

Ralts' eyes glowed blue and the attack was stopped in mid-air before the feeling pokemon waved a hand, sending it to hit the ground. He was unable to get away as Pikachu used Agility and followed it up Iron Tail per command. Ash went for a Quick Attack but Wally had Ralts trap his partner in place before slamming the electric type down.

''You know, Wally and Ralts do look like a good team.'' Brock remarked.

''That's for sure.'' May agreed.

''Pikachu, use Thunder!'' Ash called.

Pikachu jumped back and began concentrating for the powerful attack. That was when Wally made a call that surprised everyone present.

''Shock Wave!''

Ralts, deciding to trust his trainer, locked on Pikachu and fired off the attack. It didn't really hurt so much since Pikachu was an electric type but it did stun him enough to stop in place.

May blinked twice ''What just happened?''

''I get it. That was clever...'' Brock trailed off.

''I'll say.'' Max explained when May gave them a questioning look. ''See, Thunder is stronger than Thunderbolt but the drawback is that it needs more time to work. Shock Wave's a fast attack that zeroes in on the target, that way Ralts gets to distract Pikachu and make the whole thing stop all together.''

''Oh, I see. That was good thinking...''

''No kidding...'' Ash looked as impressed as they felt. ''...you guys really are good. Way to go!''

''Ah, th-thanks...'' Wally smiled sheepishly while Ralts beamed.

''Let's keep this going, Pikachu, Iron Tail!''

''Use Teleport!'' Wally called.

Ralts disappeared just as Pikachu's attack would have landed, appearing behind the mouse. Ash pressed on before they could retaliate though, calling for a Thunderbolt that hit the mark. In return, Wally had Ralts use Magical Leaf which proved to be an effective counter. Pikachu soildered past the pain and kept going, nailing Ralts with another quick attack on command. Things came to a stop after that as they watched Ralts try to get up but he was obviously having trouble.

The feeling pokemon started at the feel of a hand on his head and looked up to see his trainer kneeling beside him. ''Don't overdo it, I think that's enough.'' Ralts began to frown. ''Hey, you were great back there.''

''That's for sure, you both were.'' Ash walked over with Pikachu jumping to his shoulder. ''That was fun, you've gotten good and you're going to keep getting better, right?''

Wally returned his smile and nodded, picking his partner up. ''There you have it, what do you say?'' Ralts trilled happily in return and relaxed in his arms.

* * *

While Brock tended to the two pokemon, May got started on training with Skitty...

''All right, Blizzard!''

The feline began to release the cold winds, but it only wound up in a blast of snow and wind that would have hit the others had Ralts not sent it away with Confusion.

''Hey thanks, Ralts.'' Max said, the pokemon smiled back.

''Still...?'' May shook herself. ''Fine! We'll try this.'' She took out three yellow balls. ''Skitty, remember the juggling? It's time to work on that!''

One by one, she tossed the balls over to Skitty, who began to juggle them with her tail. However, the success didn't last long as Skitty wound up fumbling and the balls fell.

''What happened?'' May wondered.

''See, this is why I told you to work on something else. I bet you can nail it for the next contest, you'll need more time.'' Max stated.

''No! I think we can do it now!''

''That's looking to be pretty doubtful.'' A new voice said before a boy with green hair and matching eyes made his presence known.

May started ''Drew!''

''He must be here for the contest...'' Brock trailed off.

Wally and Ralts were confused ''So he's a coordinator?''

Max nodded ''He battled May before, they're pretty much rivals by now.''

Drew glanced at Wally ''I saw part of the battle, not half bad for a beginner. You might be able to give May some pointers.''

''Hey, what's that supposed to mean?'' The girl glared at him.

Wally had no idea what to say to that so he decided to ignore it ''So you're participating in the contest too?''

''That was the idea...but it isn't doable.'' Drew replied.

The admission left everyone confused, Ash cocked his head ''Why not?''

''The Phantom Masked Coordinator.''

''You fought that person too?'' Wally clarified, seeing him nod then.

''You know what he means?'' Brock asked.

''Yeah, I meant to tell you guys...This person keeps challenging trainers, from what I've heard, he's supposed to be really tough.''

''Well whoever told you was right.'' Drew offered before looking at May. ''Be careful, this guy's definitely entering the contest.''

With that said, the boy walked away. May's eyes narrowed ''Well, he's not going to stop me!''

* * *

May got back into training with renewed vigor, determined not to fail. Not long after that, a black whirlwind of petals appeared in the middle of the field, revealing a figure about Ash's height with a dark suit, a top hat and a mask similar to a Dusclops.

''Whoa!'' Ash recoiled in surprise.

''What's going on?!'' May stared.

''It must be the Phantom!'' Max exclaimed.

''That's right!'' The new arrival confirmed. ''I am the Phantom Masked Coordinator, I have come to see if there are any who would challenge me.''

''I will!'' Ash exclaimed.

''Oh, looks like we have a brave one.'' The Phantom smirked. ''Are you sure? I'll have you know that I'm quite skilled.''

''So what? We're pretty good too, right, buddy?'' Ash asked, Pikachu nodded and gave a challenging call.

''Very well.''

In moments, the two stood at opposite ends of the field, with the Phantom sending out a Dusclops. Ash took a moment to scan the unfamiliar pokemon with his pokedex.

 _''Dusclops, the Beckon pokemon. Dusclops absorbs anything, however large the object may be. The pokemon hypnotizes its foe by waving its hands in a macabre manner and by bringing its single eye to bear.''_

''All right Pikachu, Quick Attack!''

May raised an eye as the Phantom remained calm ''Why isn't he doing anything?''

''He doesn't need to...'' Wally started.

Max nodded as they watched Pikachu practically go through his opponent ''Dusclops is a ghost type. Moves like Quick Attack have no effect.''

The Phantom smirked ''Shadow Punch!''

Dusclops' eye gleamed before it proceeded to unleash a barrage of fast attacks that almost cornered Pikachu, who tried to dodge but there was no use and soon he was crashing on the floor.

Ash's eyes widened in alarm ''Pikachu!''

''Now...'' The Phantom suddenly stiffened at the sight of a black limousine stopping nearby. He quickly took out a pokeball ''...Dusclops, return!''

Everyone was left understandably bewildered, moreso as it was clear that he was leaving. Ash blinked twice ''What're you doing?''

But the Phantom didn't even spare them a look, immediately hurrying to the bushes. Just then, a portly woman with dark red hair came rushing in ''Hold it right there!''

For a moment, he almost seemed to cringe but he shook himself and went on. In his haste, he missed a tree branch until it was too late and it cut his hand. The Phantom ignored this and kept running, soon vanishing out of sight.

''What was that about?'' Max wondered.

The woman looked at them ''Do you know who that is?!''

''Why would we? He just came looking for a battle...'' A confused May trailed off.

''Ah, it sounds like he's been doing that a lot lately, Ma'am.'' Brock offered.

''I know...'' The woman grimaced. ''...is there any chance you might be able to identify him should you meet him again?''

''You're...really invested in this...''

''I have to be...'' Her expression darkened. ''...I'm afraid that Phantom may be my son.''

Ash blinked ''Wait, how do you figure that?''

''Timmy's been acting strange lately, so I heard a private investigator to find out why.'' She explained. ''My name's Tesla Grimm. After days of work, he's convinced that Timmy is the Phantom Masked Coordinator. I want to put a stop to all of this. Timmy may wind up liking pokemon and leaving me otherwise...can you find out if he was the Phantom if I show you were he is?''

''Well...'' Ash looked uncertain. ''...we can try.''

''That's all I ask. Follow me, please.''

* * *

Tesla took the group to her mansion which was a bit of a ways off. She wasted no time once they were settled in the hall and called for Timmy.

Brock had an idea, he leaned in to whisper ''Ralts, I've heard that your species are good at connecting to people's feelings. Can you use that to find out the truth here?''

Ralts nodded and both looked over as the boy who they knew to be Timmy approaching them.

''Hi, Mom...''

Tesla proceeded to introduce the group to him before asking the question she really wanted to be answered ''Do you know them?''

''No, I've never seen them before.'' Timmy replied.

Ralts blinked, having been keeping a careful watch as requested. He knew something was off just after the boy came but this just cemented it, Timmy wasn't a bad liar but Ralts could discern his mental state. There was no denying that the boy was afraid of being recognized. He tugged at Wally's sleeve and and waved a hand at the new arrival before giving a nod, trying to convey that they had actually found the Phantom. Wally nodded discreetly back to show that he understood.

''Oh, really?'' Tesla looked skeptic of her son's words. ''Then mind explaining what this was doing there?'' She helped up a pencil, to which he stiffened. ''I found it after the Phantom took off. Doesn't it look familiar?''

Timmy frowned ''I-I don't know what you're talking...''

His mother scowled and grabbed his hand, which had a bandage wrapped around ''Then explain this!''

''It's nothing!'' He wrenched his hand away.

''Timmy...''

''I told you, it's nothing. I don't know anything!'' He left.

May watched the boy's retreating figure with concern ''...I think you might have gone too far, Mrs. Grimm.''

''I know...'' Tesla looked down. ''...I suppose it's just that all this Phantom buisness has me that upset, I want it to end.''

''Um, why would he want to become the Phantom in the first place?'' Wally asked.

Max blinked ''When you put it like that...''

Ash thought the boy was on to something there too ''Yeah, what's the point of all this?''

''I don't know and I don't care to!'' Tesla said at last. ''I'm not going to let Timmy be involved with pokemon, I hate them.''

Brock frowned ''That's one thing, but what about how Timmy feels?''

''You don't know anything! I won't let it happen, ever!'' She snapped, storming off afterwards.

''So what now?'' May asked.

''I-I don't know...but it looks like she was right. Timmy is the Phantom.'' Wally informed, to general surprise. ''Brock asked Ralts use his psychic abilites to make sure and he found proof.''

''After hearing this, I'm not too surprised.'' Brock crossed his arms. ''Timmy seems to like pokemon but if she won't let him keep one...''

He was distracted when a man walked in ''...Hello there, it looks like you've heard the situation.''

* * *

The newcomer introduced himself as Tommy Grimm, Tesla's husband and the father of Timmy. After taking them to his study, he had admitted that Timmy was the real Phantom...

''Wait, but you make it sound like you knew about this before.'' May noted.

''I did...'' Tommy closed his eyes for a moment. ''...the truth is, I would love to allow our son to become a trainer but I can't change my wife's mind. I've loved pokemon for years. I met Tesla and we fell in love but that was around when I learned that she hated pokemon. Giving up being a coordinator was the only way I could get her to marry me. But even then, I simply could leave things lie, I went to train my pokemon out in secret. Timmy also grew to love pokemon, one day he came across a Duskull and he wanted to keep him but my wife was absolutely adamant in her refusal. I know it made him so sad...That's why I gave him my old costume and helped him work to improve.''

This left the group of five feeling bad for him and Timmy. It must have been hard to deal with being pushed into a corner like they had and yet they still had no choice because of Tesla's stubborness.

''Can't you just tell her the truth? This isn't fair to you guys.'' May remarked.

''If only...'' Tommy sighed. ''...I don't want to lose her.''

''I don't get it...'' Wally looked down for a bit. ''...I-I know that people have many views but hating pokemon to the point of doing something like this...? I'm really glad I got to meet Ralts, he's helped me so much. Even when it felt like I was failing him...'' He blinked as the pokemon in question cried out, clearly protesting at this. Wally smiled and patted his head ''I know...'' This left the others wondering if they had talked about the subject before. ''...you're the best friend I could have ever asked for.'' Ralts beamed at this. ''I'm sure I'm not the only person to feel this way thanks to pokemon but it's why I don't see how they can be treated as a bad thing.''

''I hear you.'' Ash agreed. ''That's just how I feel about Pikachu and I'm sure it goes for all of us.''

May and Brock nodded to this and Tommy began to smile ''I see...come to think of it, you're Mike's nephew, right?'' Surprised, Wally nodded after a moment. ''Your uncle and I have been friends for years. He knows about a good deal of what I just told you, he was a pretty good help for me back then. I remember when he got really mad at me when I couldn't tell the truth and gave up.''

''Isn't there something we can do? I'd hate to leave things like this.'' Brock admitted.

''Well...'' Tommy paused. ''...if you're up for it, I have an idea.''

* * *

A while later...

Timmy glanced at the front yard ''...Are you sure about this?''

''Yeah, it'll be just fine.'' Ash returned.

Earlier, they had approached the boy and explained his father's plan. Which they were now setting in place, should all go well, Tesla's suspicions will be lifted.

May was practicing with Skitty nearby, once again working with the juggling act. Things seemed to be progressing at a somewhat better rate, making the girl note that it was best to keep herself at Skitty's pace.

It wasn't long before they spotted the limousine again and Tesla got off before she began to approach the gate.

Suddenly, laughter resounded around them, making everyone stop and begin to look. A familiar tornado materialized on the balcony, fading away to reveal the Phantom Masked Coordinator.

''Not again!'' May cried.

''I bet he's just going to cause trouble...'' Ash frowned.

Tesla privately agreed, but then she happened to look in her family's direction, seeing Timmy next to his father.

Her eyes widened. Did that mean...?

The Phantom smirked ''Well, we never did get to finish our battle. No time like the present, right?''

''Oh yeah! I'll definitely win!''

''Hmph, those are some big words...''

The Phantom suddenly stiffened, feeling something pull at this cape. A moment later, it shifted towards his mark. ''...w-what?!''

''Hey, let that go!'' A voice cried, making everyone look up to find none other than Jessie, James and Meowth in their balloon. This revealed that the thing pulling at the mask was acutally the hook of a fishing rod.

''Team Rocket!'' Max frowned.

May groaned ''We don't need this right now, you're ruining everything!''

''See if we care, twerpette. We're getting that mask!'' James began pulling but the Phantom pulled just as hard, refusing to let it go.

''Stop that!''

''No way! Prepare for trouble!'' Jessie exclaimed.

''And make it double!'' James added.

''To protect the world from devastation!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reach to the stars above!''

''Jessie!''

''James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash speed towards the light!''

''Surrender to these great efforts or to a fight!''

''Meowth, that's right!''

''I said let go!'' The Phantom cried, pulling at his mask again.

'' _You_ let go!'' James retorted.

''Let's get this done, Seviper!'' Jessie tossed a pokeball.

''Go, Cacnea!''

Ignoring the usual theatrics beside her as once again, Cacnea just had to hug his trainer, Jessie had Seviper use Wrap on the Phantom to keep him in place.

Ash grit his teeth ''Pikachu, use...'' He faltered, any of his pokemon's attack that could help were likely to hurt the Phantom too. But what could they do now?

Thankfully, he didn't have to worry for long.

''Confusion!''

Ralts trapped Seviper in the psychic field and threw the snake in the air. Ash seized the opportunity ''Pikachu, Iron Tail!''

Pikachu leaped up with a cry and slammed Seviper's head with the steel type move, sending it back to the balloon. Ash grinned at Wally and gave him a thumbs up to which the boy smiled. Jessie scowled ''Seviper, Poison Sting!''

The dark snake jumped to fire the attack but it wouldn't be so easy. Wally's eyes narrowed ''Ralts, use Shock Wave!''

The electric burst not only warded off the needles of poison, but it also zapped Seviper and knocked it out cold. James grimaced but knew they couldn't back out here.

''Needle Arm!''

Cacnea jumped and began spinning an arm as it glowed, aiming at Skitty.

''Use Blizzard!'' May ordered. Skitty nodded and fired up the powerful ice attack, freezing Cacnea and Seviper on the spot, with the winds tossing them back to the balloon.

''All right Pikachu, Thunderbolt!'' Ash added. The electric type struck them hard then, eventually creating a burst that sent the thieves flying.

''We're blasting off again!''

''That's that.'' May looked satisfied.

''Good riddance.'' Max remarked.

''I'm glad everything's okay.'' Tesla stated. ''And even more to know that you weren't the Phantom, Timmy. I'm sorry for before.''

''Oh...'' Her son blinked. ''...ah, that's okay, it's done with anyway.''

She smiled and nodded before heading inside the mansion. The Phantom, who had snuck away in all the chaos, poked his head out. He removed the mask, revealing to be none other than Brock.

''So? Are we in the clear?''

''I'd say so. Thanks a lot.'' Tommy returned.

''I'm only glad it worked.'' He admitted. ''Now you both get to buckle down and prepare for the contest.''

Timmy nodded, smiling ''Thanks for the help. I think things will be better now. But if we do face each other, I won't hold back, May.''

The girl smiled back ''I wouldn't want you to.''

* * *

 _Well, I'll stop here._

 _I hope this was good. Like I said I need to set things up for Wally eventually joining them so it'll be a little while. I'm not dragging it on by the way. He's going to be leaving with them once they finish things up in Verdanturf. Also, the next chapter contains a twist to help things in that direction._

 _I've been sorting things through, like whether or not I should give Wally's pokemon nicknames but I'm still a bit undecided on that front. Anywho, thank you for reading and I hope you stay with this story._


	4. Chapter 4

Buisness went about as usual within Verdanturf Town while excitement began to arise due to the coming contest. Coordinators had gathered to prepare themselves for the event, all aiming to win the Verdanturf Ribbon.

Naturally this group included May and Timmy (who had been able to get to work after sneaking away again) though he was working at another location not too far away near Verdanturf's outskirts.

May groaned when Skitty's Blizzard only released a little burst of snow once again and slumped, wondering what to do.

''Keep in mind that it hadn't been that long since you started working on this. Try not to worry so much though, you'll work it out.'' Brock offered.

''Yeah, you just have to keep trying.'' Ash added.

''Thanks...I just hope we can soon...''

They stepped back to let her get some space, hearing Max talk to Wally then. ''So I've been wondering-it sure was a surprise to hear that Ralts knew Shock Wave, how'd you guys pull that off?''

''Actually, it was thanks to Dr. Abby and Joanie.'' The older boy admitted. ''Joanie helped Ralts learn how to gather electricity and Dr. Abby helped us polish things to perfect it.''

''Cool! So that's the kind of the help you mentioned before...''

* * *

A while later...

While sharing stories, the group was surprised to find Tesla entering the area. She seemed to be looking for something though and a quick talk with her confirmed that she was here because of Timmy, leaving them a little unnerved.

''Well, you're right, he did come here before but he went back on his walk. You just missed him.'' Max lied.

''I see. That's fine then.'' Tesla stated. ''I'm relieved to be sure that he wasn't the Phantom. Timmy needs to focus on what matters and pokemon are nothing but a stupid waste of time.''

Ash frowned at this, noting how the others appeared similarly irked. They didn't like what she was getting at one bit and he felt for Timmy to have to deal with this all the time. Just as Ash wondered if there was anything he could say to help the situation, he heard Wally speak.

''...I don't get it. People are free to have their own opinions, even if it's not things we could agree with but that's fine. W-why are you trying to force your opinion on Timmy so much?''

Tesla frowned ''Not that I'd expect you to understand but this is what's best for him! He'll see that!''

''Is it really though? Should...Wouldn't things have been different if you were right?''

''Hey, Wally, I get what you're trying to do but...'' Max started, fearing her reaction.

''What do you know?!'' She exploded just like the boy expected. ''Don't interfere, I haven't done anything wrong!''

Wally flinched but then he felt a hand patting his arm and looked down to see Ralts giving him a supporting smile. They had talked about this last night and the feeling pokemon made it clear that he shared the boy's sentiment on the matter. Hence, he had his support.

The boy returned his smile and soldiered on ''...M-my parents didn't...they were worried when I started liking pokemon. It got worse when I decided to become a trainer and...it hurt when they didn't believe but I know they were worried because of my illness. But we worked through it, even if things aren't as good as I wish they would be, they understood how I felt. There were people who made fun of me for that dream, all saying I was too weak and it was never going to happen. It was partly thanks to their support that I learned not to listen...''

Tesla looked angry as everyone realized that he was comparing her to those people but his friends could understand. The reasons and circumstances may vary but the method and result were similar.

''...I'm...really glad things worked out this way. That's how I got to meet Ralts.'' Wally continued. ''He helped me out in more ways than I could say, while I didn't have the slightest idea what pokemon I would have come across that day, I'm only glad it was him.'' Ralts smiled and hugged him at this, eliciting a gentle smile from the boy. ''But this is also why I don't want to just watch what you're doing either. And...I'm sorry. If I came across as rude...I didn't mean to, but would you please try to consider how other people feel about this?''

Tesla remained silent because when thought it over, she could see what the boy was getting at. Being compared to the people who made fun of Wally was what really bothered her. She really didn't want to admit it but in a way, it wasn't far from the truth, was it? Both parties just seemed to want to force themselves on others.

''Come on, guys, let's go.'' May said after a few moments.

Had they stuck around a little longer, they would have seen that Wally's words had shaken Tesla.

* * *

''Whoa, Wally...'' Max started once they joined Timmy, who they quickly realized had listened to the whole exchange.

''I...guess that wasn't quite the best way to go about it.'' The boy looked troubled. ''Maybe I'll apologize when I see her...''

''No, I didn't mean that! You did the right thing.''

He blinked at Max's words, hearing Ash carry on ''Yeah, I think someone should have really tried to talk to her about this a long time ago.''

Timmy, Ash and Brock nodded to this before the first spoke ''Thank you. I wish I could have done it.''

Wally smiled, feeling relieved by the reassurance. ''Oh...ah, I'm glad you think so...''

After that, they agreed to find another place to let May and Timmy practice. But it was around then that something strange happened. Pikachu happened to pick up on a lot of noise and pointed them in the town's direction. This led them to discover some wild pokemon rampaging in the streets.

It was utter pandemonium as many tried to get away while some present trainers tried to stop the pokemon. Ash, Brock, Wally and Timmy soon stepped in to help with their pokemon. May made a point of ensuring Max stayed away before joining them. The five worked together with the rest of the trainers to ward the pokemon, making sure that they stayed away from the townspeople with their pokemon's help. They couldn't of course battle in the situation but with a few of the elder trainers' guidance, they knew that the best way would be to try and force the pokemon out. Eventually, they managed to ensure that the pokemon left Verdanturf.

With the trouble over, some set out to figure just what caused it all in the first place. Sure, there could be the occasional trouble with the wild pokemon but such an oddity had never happened before.

* * *

''This is all so weird...'' May looked around the town, noting the number of damaged buildings. It was at least a relief that few were injured in all the chaos. She could understand the importance of finding out the cause. The sooner they figured, the sooner they could make sure it wouldn't happen again.

They split up into groups to search for anything that could help. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like people knew much about it all. No one seemed able to pinpoint even a clue about the cause. But things started to change when Nurse Joy made a note of something that had been bothering her.

''Now that I think back...it isn't like all the pokemon were that angry. I can't shake the impression that some of them were actually running away.''

This left a single question: why was that?

* * *

''Nurse Joy thinks they were getting away?'' Ash blinked at Timmy's words.

''That's what my dad heard.'' The boy admitted, having made a point of ensuring that his parents would know he was all right earlier. His father had promised to assure Tesla in return. ''He's with one of the groups who are trying to get to the bottom of this. Even some of the trainers think that she was right.''

''From what I've seen, it sounds like people are starting to think that they came from the south side.'' May informed, thinking of what she overheard on her way. ''What's over that way?''

''Well...'' Brock checked a map. ''...it's only two more routes...''

''I've heard of one, it's really quiet. Hardly anything happens there.'' Timmy remarked.

''But there's the Rusturf Project too-that might be related.'' He looked at Wally. ''That's more of a recent idea so your map probably won't show it...''

''What's that?'' Max asked.

''It's a tunnel that's supposed to link Verdanturf with Rustboro City. The progress isn't what it was supposed to be but that's because people are trying to avoid aggravating the wild pokemon.''

Brock looked pensive ''I see what you're getting at, Wally. Something could have went down there...''

''Then let's go, we've still got keep going till we work things out.'' Ash told everyone.

* * *

At May's suggestion, they stopped along the way to make sure others knew about this and it turned out that they weren't the only ones who came to that conclusion. A couple of the other groups had also headed over to examine the area. It wasn't long before they found Ernie and a few of the workers on the project working about.

''Oh, so you're in on this too.'' Ernie nodded when they filled him in. ''Yeah, I'm honestly not sure what happened but I was just going to talk to Leon and the next thing I know that Loudred jumps out of nowhere. We've seen those other trainers but I think they headed off to different tunnels.''

''Different tunnels? How big is this place?'' May tilted her head.

''Well part of the reason things expanded like this was the trouble we had at first but we're trying to make sure it would work out. Anyway, we're all trying to see just how things are looking here when all was said and done...''

Ernie's voice abruptly stopped at the sound of shouting coming from the distance, making everyone look at the area nearby. Two workers came running out and the reason became clear at the sight of a pair of Golbat flying at them.

Ash and Brock reacted first ''Pikachu, Thunderbolt!''

''Forretress, Double Edge!''

The first Golbat was struck hard by the electric attack while Brock's pokemon charged just as it came out of the pokeball and sent the second Golbat flying. This allowed both the flying and poison types' targets to get away.

''I think they came from the tunnel you guys.'' Timmy remarked.

''Yeah...someone's been messing things up.'' Ernie scowled. ''We're this close to finishing the project...can you kids help me find everybody? I know they spread inside the cave. They'll probably be looking for a safe place now.''

''Sure, we came here to help after all.'' Ash returned.

''Good, let's go!''

They found two roads nearby that were clearly used recently. One lead to an open, empty grassy area which had one worker, who was leaning against the wall and panting. He seemed surprised to see the group but immediately spoke once he recognized Ernie.

''You all need to be careful, I just had to fight off a really persistent and mad Loudred and Onix. My Golduck and I are wiped, I don't know who but someone really aggravated the pokemon.''

''We had to deal with some pokemon too.'' May blinked. ''Wait, weren't there more people here? We heard there were other trainers who came by.''

''That's just it. I heard them come this way but the next thing I know, they're gone.'' The worker admitted, leaving them surprised.

Max was perplexed ''But why?''

''With any luck, they might have had to get out of here before the wild pokemon went at it again.'' Ernie frowned. ''What about the others, Rick?''

''They took the newer path we found lately. I just came to check up on those guys. At the rate things are going...you're looking for them too, right? I'll come with you.''

* * *

Having Ernie and Rick around was a great help as they were able to help get everyone through the area quickly, knowing it as well as they did. Fortunately, it didn't seem like there were any pokemon coming up to fight this time. The only exception thus far had been a Loudred which they had been forced to stop and fight. After which...

''Hey whoa, you all right there?''

Eyes traveled to Rick at this, seeing that the man was watching Wally, who seemed to be breathing heavily nearby. The boy took something they quickly realized was an inhaler out of his pocket before he proceeded to use it.

''S-sorry...I'll be fine...'' He returned.

Ernie couldn't help but remember that while the boy visited the area with Wanda every now and then, this was exactly why they didn't want him to come around more. ''You sure?''

Wally nodded ''I don't want to just stay back...'' He wanted to help out however possible. The boy didn't know the workers here as well as he did Wanda and Leon but they had been nice and kind. He felt that they deserved this much.

''All right but...''

A second later, a scream reached their ears, making everyone stiffen. Max's eyes widened ''What was that?''

''Hey, that voice...'' Ernie glanced at Wally, who clearly recognized it as well, judging by the similarly alarmed look he wore at the moment. ''...gah, the one day I hoped she'd actually stay home...''

''What do you mean?'' Timmy looked confused.

''No time, come on!''

Ernie led the group ahead, they soon found three workers facing a Golem. The person who had screamed was just behind them. It was actually...

Ash stared ''Wanda?!''

The girl turned, her eyes widening at the sight of them ''You're all here too?!''

Besides her stood Leon, who had been trying to shield her with the best of his ability as his dark eyes watched the Golem thrash about. Two of the workers retrieved their fainted Machop and Machoke, also seeming just as wary. A Hariyama stood in front of them, facing the Golem.

One of them look at Ernie and Rick ''We've been trying to stop it, if this keeps up, Golem could make the place fall in on us.''

Before anyone could react though, Golem began using Rock Tomb, causing a number boulders to began falling...

Wally reacted fast ''Ralts, use Confusion!''

The feeling pokemon was able to trap all the boulders with the psychic energy and made them hit the ground away from everyone. Wally had his friend follow up with a Magical Leaf which sent the pokemon a little back before it proceeded to try and punch Ralts.

''Teleport!''

In a flash, Ralts appeared behind Golem, who growled and made to use another Rock Tomb. Brock frowned as Golem clearly seemed ready to attack again ''Careful, guys, I don't think you'd get the chance to surprise it again.''

Wally had an idea ''Use Confusion!''

Golem ground its teeth as the blue energy held it in place and began struggling.

''Switch targets to those rocks and throw them back!''

This, to general surprise, resulted in Golem being slowly but surely boxed in. Wally made sure to stop its attempt at retaliation by having Ralts use another Magical Leaf that made it cry out in pain.

''It's working great!'' Max exclaimed.

Ash grinned ''Way to go, you guys!''

Wally knew they had to act fast since Ralts couldn't keep holding the makeshift prison AND Golem at the same time. ''Try it one more time, Ralts.''

Nodding, Ralts made to send out the glowing volley of leaves. But then, Golem stomped a foot loudly, causing a strong tremor. This almost threw everyone down but it also damaged a particular bit of the wall nearby, leaving it to fall apart. This revealed three new unexpected figures hiding there.

Max's eyes widened at the sight of Team Rocket ''What're you idiots even doing here?!''

''Rude as ever, twerp! I'll have you know, we were hired to get rid of the rubble by someone in Rustboro.'' Jessie huffed.

''Yeah, you should be thanking us.'' James added.

Leon scowled ''As if! This whole mess is obviously your fault. We've been digging so carefully to make sure not to hurt anyone and look what you did!''

''Well, it wouldn't be a problem anymore.'' Jessie sneered.

Meowth pressed a button on the remote he was holding. This let them see the balloon from the exit nearby. Dangling from it was a cage holding a number of pokemon. Some weren't even natives of this area and it was likely that they stole them from the other trainers who came by.

''What do you think you're doing?!''

''What a silly question! Prepare for trouble...''

Leon grit his teeth ''Come on, Hariyama, let's teach those idiots a lesson!''

His pokemon let out a cry, bracing for battle. Jessie grabbed ''I think it's about time _we_ teach you all a lesson, to respect Team Rocket. Seviper, go!''

''Cacnea!'' James tossed a pokeball out and once again, the cactus like pokemon began hugging him, all the while ignoring his cries to stop that.

''Poison Tail on the double!'' Jessie commanded.

James pushed Cacnea back ''Pin Missile!''

''Nice try, you idiots. Protect!'' Leon ordered. Both pokemon were repelled by the green shield a second later.

''All right, Needle Arm!'' James cried.

Timmy held up a pokeball ''Dusclops, stop it with Shadow Punch!''

The requiem pokemon flew out of the device and in a moment a black blast hit Cacnea quickly, making him crash down. Seviper charged at Dusclops but the ghost type merely went intangible, making the poison type hit the wall, to Jessie's anger.

All the skirmish caused another issue; Golem had enough time to break free from the entrapment. The ground and rock type proceeded to stomp another foot and make the ground tremble with increasing magnitude. Team Rocket tried a Haze and Pin Missile combo but it was stopped by Ralts and Dusclops, who used Confusion and Will-O-Wisp on their trainers' commands. This didn't leave the thieves much time to get away and they were trapped in their own plan quickly.

''Look out, Golem's...''

Ash grimaced as the pokemon turned its attention to them ''Pikachu, stop Golem with Iron Tail!''

And the yellow mouse was off like a flash, before Golem knew what hit it. Pikachu's hardened tail its back a moment later, making it cry out.

''That does it! First, we'll grab that one. Seviper, Bite!'' Jessie started.

''Cacnea, Pin Missile. Take Golem down!'' James added.

Golem let out a cry before surprising the thieves by unleashing a Flamethrower that his both pokemon at once, making them all. Seviper was getting up but Cacnea had clearly fainted. Golem didn't let up as it made immediately began charging up what many present recognized was a Hyper Beam attack that hit the mark and sent Team Rocket flying away.

Golem turned back to the rest, eyes narrowing. Wanda looked alarmed ''It still wants to fight?''

A burst of Flamethrower proved to be enough of an answer, forcing any nearby to get away. Golem used Rock Tomb once more but Leon and Timmy intervened to have their pokemon destoy the rocks. Just as Golem made to attack Hariyama and Dusclops, it was stopped by Ralts' Confusion before Ash made use of the chance to have Pikachu nail it with another Iron Tail.

It was just then that Wally noticed something fall from above, making him look up to see that the stalactites near Leon and Wanda were shaking badly. Having a bad feeling about this, the boy proceeded to run over and push them away. The two had been none the wiser but it worked and not a moment too soon. The stalacties fell at the area where they had just been but in the middle of it all, a piece of the debris struck Wally and made hit a nearby boulder, causing him to collapse.

Wanda gasped ''Wally!''

Leon ran over to help him just as Golem turned at them, the young man grit his teeth ''Hariyama, Vital Throw!''

The pokemon ran in front of them before catching Golem and tossing it back. Already weary as it were, Golem simply couldn't keep up the fight anymore and it fell back.

Leon stood, holding Wally carefully as May asked ''Is he okay?''

''Yeah, I'd say he just needs to rest.''

Hariyama picked a concerned Ralts up and spoke to the feeling pokemon, who nodded after a few moments, seemingly reassured.

''I think we've all had enough today, let's get out of here.'' Leon added.

* * *

As it turned out, the missing trainers had been unfortunate to stumble across one of Team Rocket's traps, leaving them vulnerable to have their pokemon taken. Luckily, they had been left at the cage with the rest of their theft so returning them was a simple matter. Overall, relief had spread with the word, knowing that the trouble was over.

Through all this, the Rusturf Project was technically complete. Now everyone involved came to agree that they would focus on helping Verdanturf with the recovery from the attack. It was more than all right with Leon, who personally admitted to being glad that he could see Wanda whenever he wanted now. He and Wanda led everyone to the girl's house with Timmy having to leave along the way to see his parents.

Wally awoke as the sunset lights sailed through the window. The boy was confused to find himself back in his room. Two familiar cries came then, making him start and turn around to find Ralts and Pikachu sitting nearby. Both were clearly pleased to see that he had recovered.

He began to smile ''Hey, you two...so everything's okay now?''

Pikachu nodded and gestured outside the room, waving a paw in what Wally knew to be the living room's direction...

* * *

Wanda's face lit up when she saw the three, giving her cousin a quick hug ''How do you feel?''

''Okay...just a little confused. Um, what did I miss?''

''Nothing much, really.'' She began to lead the three in before explaining how after Golem was taken care of, the workers had agreed to take care of things on that end and they returned here. ''I'd say all's well that ends well. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Your friends told me what happened on your end, you did well.''

''Y-you think? Oh...'' Wally was startled by the sound of someone calling his name to find his friends approaching them.

''Hey, glad to see you're doing better.'' Ash smiled.

Wally smiled back ''Thanks...'' They went to sit, not too far from where his aunt and uncle, Rose and Mike, were talking to Leon.

''Hey, kiddo.'' He took a moment to ruffle Wally's hair. ''We were just telling them everything. You know Miss Rose, she wouldn't take it easy otherwise.''

''Can you blame me for being worried?'' Aforementioned woman gave him a disapproving look before turning her full attention to her nephew and his friends. ''I can't believe you all got caught up in this mess. It's good that things turned out this well.''

''Hey, give the kids a break.'' Mike offered. ''You know as well as I do that they've handled themselves pretty well. A whole bunch of people had to put in effort to help out.''

''Fair enough.'' Rose conceded. ''Are you sure you're okay, Wally?''

''Yeah, I feel a lot better.'' He wanted to say that she shouldn't worry but knowing his aunt, there was just no point. She always did tend to worry about them all and at times that came across as being overprotective.

''Oh, Wally was really good back there, Mom. He totally had things under control.'' Wanda offered.

''That's for sure.'' Ash agreed, with Pikachu nodding along.

Brock nodded too ''He was handling that Golem well. The only reason things went south back there was Team Rocket's interference.''

''Definitely.'' Leon concurred.

Wally looked embarrassed while they smiled at him ''Ah, th-thanks...''

''You know, he really is turning out to be a good trainer.'' Leon went on. ''I bet he'd do pretty well on a journey.''

The young man blinked as he felt the mood change with everyone suddenly getting quiet. ''Err...what? What'd I say?''

''We haven't...really talked about that yet.'' Mike admitted. ''But I think you're right, Leon. He's grown up after all and that experience always proves to help a person find out who they are.''

''That's exactly what I was thinking!''

''I don't know...'' Rose started. ''...you remember why it couldn't happen in the first place?''

''Oh come on, honey.'' Mike raised an eye. ''You know he's recovered a great deal since. Things are really different now.''

''It's a really good experience.'' May offered. ''I can already feel that I grew up since my journey started and it's only been a few months.''

''Yeah, I feel the same. We told Wally he can come with us if he wants to. It'll be great!''

''For what it's worth, I think you should really think the possiblity over.'' Brock offered, Ash nodded to this. ''It's something Wally wants to do.''

The boy in question hadn't been able to really talk about the subject with his family before. Partly because he feared the answer and since he knew that circumstances just meant they were mostly concerned because of his health. He did feel much better after staying in Verdanturf and things certainly changed. His friends' support meant a lot and he wanted to prove it.

''That's right...'' He said after a moment. ''...I've been reading up a bunch about pokemon. With all those stories I heard...I've wondered what it'd be like out there making some of my own. Before, I didn't see it happening but now...I want that chance.''

''Well, we're just going to have talk things through.'' Wanda returned, smiling as she caught the determination in her cousin's voice. ''It's only fair. You guys said you wanted to call Aunt Diana and Uncle Vince anyway. There's no problem then, right?''

Her mother nodded ''We'll see what happens after that. A decision like that can't happen without them.''

''Hey, that's a start. I bet they'll understand how you feel.'' Ash patted Wally's shoulder, eliciting a smile from the boy.

''All right, leaving that aside-I bet you're all hungry after the day we just had. Anyone up for dinner?'' Rosa asked with a smile.

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope this was good. I kept thinking stuff off over for this chapter a bunch and this was the best I could settle on. Like I said, I don't intend to drag the situation with Wally any more than it needs to be so you can expect that talk coming soon._

 _Erm, that's all I really had to say but if there's any questions, feel free to ask and please tell me how you think I'm doing so far. Till next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Guest: Thanks, I'll see what I can do to make that idea work._

* * *

The day of the contest finally arrived and many coordinators were eager to get things under way. May, who had initially been of a similar mood, found herself nervous as the time drew closer.

''Hey, relax, you'll do fine.'' Ash offered.

''You really did work hard.'' Brock added.

''Yeah, but still...'' May bit her lip.

''You don't have to hold back whatever's troubling you...I can kind of understand why you would be nervous now but it's better here than on stage, right? It just means you really want this to work out well. There's nothing wrong with that.'' Wally remarked.

After considering that, the five listeners had to admit he had a point. May gave a small smile ''Thanks...I guess you're right.'' She inhaled deeply and then exhaled.

''Just shake it off, May. It'll be all right.'' Max patted her shoulder.

She nodded ''Anyway, where's Timmy? Shouldn't he have been here a long time ago?''

''Yeah, we tried to find him...'' Her brother admitted, frowning. ''...you think Mrs. Grimm might have discovered our trick?''

''Oh man, I sure...'' Ash paused as Pikachu suddenly pointed to the left, noticing the boy in question running over. ''...there you are!''

''Being late for your first contest is bad news, you know.'' Max stated.

''Y-yeah...'' Timmy panted. ''...it just took a while to get away because of Mom...''

''Okay, come on, we've gotta get your registered!''

* * *

Thankfully, even with the time limit drawing close, they were able to finalize things without preamble. ''So you snuck out again?'' May asked.

Timmy nodded ''Mom swamped me with the usual workload and left. Dad and Wally's uncle were on top of things, they helped me get here.'' He sighed. ''I know I've been working for this but now it's kind of nerve wracking...''

''Well, if it helps you can use your costume.''

He perked up at Ash's suggestion ''Oh yeah!'' In a second he put the mask on and gave a laugh. ''That's more like it. I'm sure to win the contest!''

Needless to say, his friends were bewildered at the apparent 180 degrees switch in character.

''Oh, come on...'' Max said flatly while the rest sweat dropped.

'' _Anyway,_ why don't you two get going? The contest will be starting soon.'' Brock reminded.

* * *

The contest's MC Vivian stood on stage and announced the beginning of the contest, to general excitement. She, along with the three judges Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo and Verdanturf's Nurse Joy were the ones in charge of running the whole event. It wasn't long before the time for the first performance sailed in.

''Now without further ado, here's Jessifina!''

A woman with long red hair and a butterfly-like mask came on stage, sending out a Dustox.

''Use Poison Sting and follow it up with Gust!'' She ordered. The combination resulted in the poisonous needles resembling purple batons. ''Now Psybeam!''

The next attack destroyed them all, releasing bursts of light as Dustox gracefully landed back on her trainer's head. The crowd cheered and the screens set up on stage viewed their score to be a 28.5.

Some more coordinators took their turns with varying results before it was May's turn.

''Skitty, take the stage!'' She tossed the pokeball and the little pink feline came out. ''Let's start with Blizzard!''

Trouble started as it turned out that Skitty could only produce a small burst of wind similar to a Powder Snow attack instead, to the girl's dismay.

''Not again!'' Max exclaimed.

''You've got to stay focused, May!'' Ash cried, hoping this wouldn't get her down.

Thankfully, the girl managed to shake it off and started the juggling act. She smiled as Skitty twirled the three balls very well ''That's it, Skitty!''

This seemed to get a much better reception as the crowd clearly liked the act and in the end May and Skitty got a 24.9.

''Well, that could've gone better...''

''It's okay, Max, I think she might still have a shot for the second round.'' Brock consoled.

Drew, who had decided to come and watch the contest after all, watched May with a growing sense of disappointment. He'd been intrigued to see May's new pokemon but now he didn't think much to show for it went down.

The boy's focus was soon diverted because Timmy was up next or as he recognized him, the Phantom Masked Coordinator.

''Dusclops, Will-o-Wisp!'' He commanded. Dusclops raised its hands and in a second, created spheres of blue fire. ''Good, now Psychic!'' The requiem pokemon made it so that the fire gathered in spinning wheels of fire. Their act earned a 27.5, leaving Timmy pleased. ''Excellent.''

* * *

Not all was well however, as around the same time, Tesla had discovered that Timmy wasn't home and it didn't take her long to figure out where he was.

''Why would you let him do that?'' She demanded of her husband but Tommy was calm.

''You know why. Timmy's feelings haven't changed.''

''Pokemon are just a waste of his time!'' She snapped.

Mike scowled ''Enough already! I never liked how you kept forcing your opinion and ignoring how Tommy felt all this time but he insisted to let him handle it. Can't you see that you're hurting your family?''

''I shouldn't have stayed quiet.'' Tommy stated. ''But I've made my decision, I'm going to respect his feelings on this matter and I won't stand for anything else.''

Tesla ground her teeth in frustration ''Pokemon are stupid, what's wrong with wanting to keep him away from that?''

''You shouldn't take your past on our son.'' Tommy chided, making her recoil with wide eyes.

* * *

May sighed as they watched the event proceedings on screen while waiting for the scores to come out. ''I really messed up...''

''It's okay. They really liked that juggling act, remember?'' Brock stated while Max nodded.

''You did a lot better than a bunch of the others too.'' Timmy added helpfully.

Seconds later, the ranks were decided and the scores were displayed on screen. The four coordinators who had moved on to the second round were Timmy, Jessifina, a boy named Stefano and-to her great relief-May.

''I made it!'' The brunette cheered.

''Good job, May.'' Ash smiled.

''Don't get complacent, it'll be crunch time soon and only one of you can win.'' Max reminded.

''I know, we'll just have to give it all we got.'' May remarked.

Timmy nodded ''And whoever wins, no hard feelings.''

''Right. Good luck.''

''Back at you.''

* * *

Tesla, Tommy and Mike arrived in the middle of the second round, just as May won her battle.

''Wait, she's here?'' Ash looked alarmed.

''This could be bad...'' Wally trailed off as Tommy looked at them and gave a slight nod, still calm.

None of them got to think over this much as the second round soon began, with Jessiefina and Timmy being the battlers...

''Shadow Punch!'' The boy called, the result pushing Dustox back before she could fire up a Psybeam, reducing Jessifina's score to three-quarters.

''He's doing great, Shadow Punch sure looks cool!'' Max grinned.

''I'd agree but let's not get carried away, that coordinator's pretty good. It's not over yet.'' Brock pointed out.

Jessifina laughed as Dustox's next move reduced her opponent's gauge. ''You're in over your heard, little boy!''

This left Tesla aggravated, something her husband noticed but decided not to comment on. Dustox and Dusclops engaged in a psychic showdown via a clash with their Psybeam and Psychic attacks, leaving them in a stalemate.

''Look, can you try and see Timmy's point of view here? He obviously really wants to become a coordinator, look at all the trouble he must have gone though to get his pokemon that strong.'' Mike pointed out.

''You need to accept it, this is why our son wants.'' Tommy added.

Another clash of attacks caused a minor explosion on the stage, raising a shock wave that wound up revealing that Jessifina was wearing a costume. Panicking, Jessie tried to calm herself down as the battle time ran out. Vivian spoke then ''And the winner is Phantom!''

Timmy couldn't help smiling at this ''Yes! We did it, Dusclops!'' The ghost type floated closer to him with a happy grunt.

May's eyes widened as the smoke began to clear, letting her see that it was Team Rocket's Jessie ''It's her!''

Brock scowled while Timmy and Dusclops started, also recognizing the woman ''Team Rocket!''

''Look at him now.'' Tommy told Tesla.

''Do you really want to take the source of that happiness away?'' Mike asked pointedly. ''Look, in a way, we understand that you have some concerns. We've had an issue about Pokemon with Wally. We were worried that since he was so sick, he couldn't become a trainer and we know how much he loved Pokemon. But he defied all expectations, he still hung tough and learned a lot. He found a great best friend in Ralts and they've only been growing since.''

Tesla thought back to what the boy told her, understanding that this was why the boy to sympathize with Timmy the most.

A loud cry of frustration brought their attention to the stage as Jessie stomped forward ''As if I'm going to let things like this! We'll just have to go with our plan B, James, Meowth!''

''Right!'' Her teammates made their appearance known, proving that they had been hiding among the audience.

''Dusclops is ours!'' Jessie called as she and James grabbed their pokeballs.

Dusclops would have none of this however, as he was quick to blast them off far away with Shadow Punch.

Vivian cleared her throat ''Ah...sorry about all the commotion. We'll just...'' She blinked, noticing that Timmy's mask was beginning to fall off in all the chaos.

The boy stiffened as he realized this, quickly trying to put it back in place. He started as someone called out his name, making him look left to find ''M-Mom?''

* * *

''What's going on?'' Ash asked as they got together with Tommy and Mike, all having watched Tesla quickly run away. To say they were confused would be an understatement.

''I've been wondering myself. You know, you never did tell me why Tesla hates pokemon.'' Mike told Tommy.

The man sighed ''I know how this looks but it's not that she hates them...You see, when she was younger, she really wanted to be a trainer. Her parents refused to let her have a pokemon, they had to drag her away from her best friend Poochyena and they never even saw how it broke her heart.''

Now it was really adding up for everyone. They felt bad for her upon understanding Tommy's view. It really wasn't that she had a problem with pokemon, Tesla was just so hurt from that event that this was the only way she could see.

Timmy looked saddened ''I wish I knew that before...''

''She didn't want anyone to.'' His father remarked. ''But the thing is, your mother's just being stubborn. She knows things can't keep going like this. You've made it this far, Timmy, do your best; for her sake too.''

''Right!''

''Why the long face, kiddo?''

Wally blinked and looked at his uncle. Mike half-smiled and went on ''Wait, don't tell me, you feel bad about the way you confronted Tesla before?'' The boy nodded. ''There's no need for that, you just wanted to help, we all know it.''

''That's right.'' Tommy walked over while Ralts gave his trainer a warm smile that showed he agreed. ''You're kind and I know your good intentions shone through. I appreciate the support but it's high time our family dealt with this issue once and for all.''

* * *

''Here we are at the Verdanturf Contest's final round!'' Vivian announced. ''Those two coordinators will be battling for the ribbon. On my right, it's May and on my left, it's the Phantom Masked Coordinator!'' She began to smile as the audience cheered, the excitement apparent for all. ''Five minutes on the clock, begin!''

''Skitty, take the stage!''

''Dusclops, let's go!''

Timmy had his partner strike out with a Will-o-Wisp and Psychic combo, the flames striking Skitty repeatedly, even as May tried to have her get away. The consequent Doubleslap failed completely and once again, Blizzard was no good. All in all, the battle was really turning in Timmy's favor.

May knew they couldn't back out ''All right, let's...''

''Hyper Beam!''

She let out a little gasp as the powerful attack blasted her pokemon back, loweing her gauge to about half. Timmy wasn't about to let up ''Use Shadow Punch!''

Luckily, May had an idea ''Hit it with Double Slap!'' She was relieved to see that the counter worked, reducing Timmy's points too for the skillful display.

''That was a good idea.'' Wally smiled.

''Yeah, keep it coming, May!'' Ash grinned while Pikachu and Ralts cheered along.

''It's okay, you're still in this, Skitty has Assist!''

May's eyes widened at Brock's reminder and she kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner. She called for the attack just as Timmy ordered Dusclops to use Will-o-Wisp, and Skitty wound up creating a gust that ripped the flames apart, lowering Timmy's gauge closer to hers.

Drew hummed in satisfaction ''Now that's more like it.''

''Well that's lucky, good for them. Assist makes a whole bunch of moves, right?'' Mike clarified.

Max nodded ''I bet it'll be a huge help here.''

The move's versatility was becoming more and more clear as Skitty stopped Dusclops' next Shadow Punch by grabbing with a String Shot and destroying it.

''Timmy!''

The two coordinators started, surprised to see Tesla running as close as she could to the stage. ''I'm rooting for you! Win or lose, that won't change. You don't need the mask, you're a great coordinator without it. Do your best!''

Timmy smiled at the unexpected turnout, delighted and grateful for the words. Before he quite knew it, he had taken the mask off and turned his full attention to the battle. ''Dusclops, fire a barrage of Will-o-Wisp!''

''Use Assist!'' May countered. She was relieved to see Skitty conjure up an Ember then, at first it worked great but then Skitty was overwhelmed with the amount of blue fire and the Will-o-Wisp hit home, thus both their gauges were lowered.

''What a battle, neither coordinator is giving an inch!'' Vivian grinned as the heated struggle continued. ''But the time's drawing to a close, who will win?!''

''Skitty, Assist once more!'' May called.

The following created a Silver Wind that flew at Dusclops, who stopped it with Psychic at his trainer's behest. About 25 seconds remained as Timmy decided to go for broke and ordered a Hyper Beam.

May, who knew fully well that relying on Assist here may not bode well, decided to try something else.

''Blizzard!''

Her friends were surprised by the call but Skitty managed to get the attack down perfectly and it clashed with the Hyper Beam. In some moments, it blew thre the attack and hit Dusclops hard just as the time run out.

''And time!'' Vivian called. ''That's it, folks. The coordinator who came out on top is May!''

The girl smiled widely and leaped for joy ''We won!'' She scooped Skitty up in her arms. ''Thank you so much, Skitty!'' Her pokemon gave a happy purr and smiled.

''She actually beat the Phantom...'' Drew trailed off, he had to admit May really had grown. While he still thought she had a good way to go, he'd give her the credit she deserved here.

Timmy turned to face his mother ''I'm sorry about the trick, don't blame my friends. They all just wanted to help me.''

''I know. That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't taken things so badly, it's all right.'' Tesla assured. ''If you want to be a coordinator than it's more than fine by me, I'll help you to the best of my ability.''

''Thanks!'' He hugged her and the rest watched in satisfaction.

''Now that's more like it.'' Mike grinned.

''All's well that ends well, right?'' Max smiled and Brock hummed in agreement.

''That was a great battle, Timmy.'' May remarked as the two face other.

''Thanks, it really was. Congratulations.'' The boy returned, glancing to the side as he noticed the judges walking over. ''Go on, you've got to get the prize.''

May beamed ''Right.''

* * *

As they were on their way to their respective homes, Tommy remembered something ''Come to think of it, didn't you mention something about possibly letting Wally go on a journey like he wanted? How's that going on?''

''It's...complicated.'' Mike sighed. ''Things are changing for the better. Me, Wanda and Leon all think he's good to go but Rose is still dragging her feet. The problem is, I'm not sure what his parents think.''

''Well, you said it yourself, he came a long way. It's hard to see them having a problem.''

Tesla could agree with her husband there ''The best you can do is talk it out. From what he's mentioned, they should understand.''

''I hope you're right...''

''If there's any trouble, just let me talk to those three. Trust me, I can be pretty perusasive.'' Tesla stated.

The two men chuckled at this before Mike responded ''Don't I know it.''

''Well in all seriousness Mike, if there's anything we can do to help, feel free to ask. It's the least we can do.'' Tommy offered.

''Thanks, glad to know we've got your support.''

* * *

Though he is fully aware that his parents were calling in tonight, Wally didn't know that the family intended to talk about his situation. Even though, it was a subject he wanted to raise as well.

The two groups exchanged greetings and Wally arrived as they took some time to catch up...

''Well, Rose kept me posted but it's still great to see how much your health improved.'' Diana remarked with a smile.

Wally smiled back ''You guys were right, coming here really helped.''

''So if I have the descriptions right, the friends who helped you get Ralts are in town too?''

He nodded and Wanda spoke up ''They're really nice kids. A bunch of stuff happened and they were a big help.''

Mike nodded ''You haven't even seen proof of how far your son grew.'' He started explaining about the training and the people Wally came to befriend as well as the situation with the Grimms. ''What're the odds, huh?''

''Yup, a certain little kid came a long way.'' Leon added, ruffling the boy's hair and grinning as Wally appeared embarrassed. ''He's made some pretty good connections too. His new friends even said he could travel with them sometime...''

Vincent could see what they were getting at. The chances of Wally doing something like what they heard nw in the past were low. He was particularly pleased to hear how many people were left singing their son's praises like Nurse Joy, the workers at the Rusturf Tunnel, the Grimms and Dr. Abby for instance.

''They all think he's a great kid, which is undoubtedly true.'' Rose finished the explanation.

''And he's turning out to be one heck of a good trainer too. Though Ralts can testify to that one better, right?'' Leon smirked.

The feeling pokemon gave a bright smile and nodded. Wally, on the other hand, hadn't known that he had garnered so much support. It made him feel great, the thought giving him more courage to speak his mind.

''Everyone, I...'' He started. ''...I've tried to push my dream aside with things the way they were, but I still couldn't forget it. In the end, I still want to travel and see what's out there. To make friends and learn and grow with Ralts. I gave up for some time when it turned out my illness would just get in the way but the more I learned, the more I wanted to make it happen.''

''I see...'' Vincent trailed off. ''...so you feel that strongly about it?''

Wally nodded ''It didn't feel like there was any point bringing it up before...I knew how much it worried you guys but it's the truth. I can't back down after all that's happened-I know, my goal won't be easy but I still think it would be worth it.''

Rose, in particular felt bad as it was clear as day how much this subject meant for her nephew. Sure, she knew that he cared about Pokemon a great deal but to think this was how he really felt...

Diana smiled ''...We knew, Wally. We already realized you were respecting our feelings on the matter.''

Vincent nodded ''We've always liked that thoughtfulness with you, son. It's a part of your sweet nature, wish we just brought this up sooner.''

''We never meant to make things harder for you.'' Rose offered. ''The last we'd want is to come off as those awful people who kept talking down to you.''

Wally shook his head ''It hurt at first but I know you were looking out for me.''

''Well, I'd say he's ready.'' Mike moved things forward. ''So do Wanda and Leon, now it's just you guys left. What do you say?''

Diana closed her eyes ''Well, if this is the way things have to be then I think there's only one right answer. He most certainly can go.''

Wally looked surprised for a moment before he began to smile as it all sank in. Vincent grinned at their son's obvious joy and added ''It wouldn't be right or even remotely fair to hold you back now. Go out there and do your best, both of you.''

''Thanks a lot!'' He returned as Ralts cheered.

Rose smiled to herself, this talk helped settle feelings on the matter ''It's decided then.''

''All right!'' Leon exclaimed while Wanda beamed before looking to her aunt and uncle on screen again.

''Wally's going to have some real good help, he's already worked well with his new friends. They can travel together now.''

''That's some great news!''

''All right, we'll help get things ready. You two should turn in now, you'll need to be well-rested for tomorrow.'' Rose advised.

''Okay, we will, Aunt Rose.'' Wally returned.

* * *

As it turned out, Max and Brock had overheard part of the talk yesterday after they left the contest. Thus they knew that the talk about Wally's situation would arise and so they had informed their friends, who agreed to come over and see what came of it. They were quickly brought up to speed. The five were just as pleased as the family was with the turnout and they were happy to welcome Wally into their group as promised.

''We'll look our for them.'' Brock assured.

''Yup, they'll be among friends so there's nothing to worry about.'' May added.

Wanda gave a grateful smile ''That's definitely reassuring.'' She looked at her cousin. ''Good luck.''

''You have fun out there.'' Leon added.

''It's fine, he'll do great.'' Mike told him.

Rose smiled ''Well, I'd say you should make the most of it, Wally but I have a feeling that's just what you'll do. Take care, okay? That goes for the rest of you as well.''

Wally nodded, beaming ''Thanks.''

''We will.'' Max smiled.

''You can count on it.'' Ash added.

And thus the group set out together, now with two new members added to their growing family. All were looking forward to seeing what the journey ahead had in store for them. Whatever it was, they would do their best to face it together.

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope this was good. I've been deliberating how to set things up so Wally could set out at last. I didn't want to rush it but of course there was no sense in dragging it out either, so this was what I settled on._

 _There's a little confession I have to make. I kind of had things mixed up...you know about the anime timeline and all. I was never going to follow it completely straight but I think I got the game route mixed in a little. You know what with Verdanturf being close to Mauville in the games? I forgot that they actually go to Lavaridge earlier, so I've changed it up a little so that they would pass Mauville City on their way to Lavaridge Town. I'm going to set it up so there's a different, possibly shorter route for them to reach Petalburg City later. The other reason I've changed things up like that is that I'm not sure I like Wally heading back there this soon._

 _Well, thanks for reading and I hope enjoy my work. Till next time!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Advance shipper: Thanks, well I didn't really think about including the movies in the story so I'm not really sure. I like your ideas though, especially the one about Lucario. I'd totally go for it if I decide to use the movies. The one about Jirachi does complicate things a lot though so I really don't know if I can use it. Anyway, pairing Ash and May is looking more and more popular though I have to admit pairing Drew with Soledad sounds like a good idea._

 _Mario64: Glad you're enjoying this. Well as I mentioned, the matter about the movies is still up in the air but I'll think about it. They're still a waysoff anyway but yeah I can totally see some good romance times possible there..._

* * *

''Fallarbor Town?''

May nodded ''I heard that's where the closest next contest is going to be at. I can't wait!''

Max gave her a dry look ''You sound like Ash around battles.''

''I'm not that bad!''

''Hey, what's that mean?'' The Kanto trainer huffed.

''Let's just say he tends to jump into situations...a lot.'' Brock offered for a curious Wally's benefit, smiling when Ash gave him a pointed look. ''Anyway, this looks like a good spot. Why don't we get a little break?''

Soon they were settled down at a clearing to rest up after walking for a few hours, also with Ash deciding to train in a bit while Brock began preparing lunch.

''Um, is there something I can do to help?'' Wally asked him.

Brock gave him a grateful smile ''If you can set the plates up, that'd be great.''

The boy nodded and went to pick them up, pausing when Skitty ran before him and hid in a bush. Then came Pikachu and Mudkip, seemingly looking around. If Wally concentrated, he could glimpse the tip of Ralts' horn from behind a thin tree. Concluding that they were likely playing hide and seek, the boy decided to leave them to it.

He and Ralts had already been acquainted with their friends' pokemon since their stay in Verdanturf and they made for a friendly bunch. It was nice to see how Ralts was fitting in the group already, Wally smiled to himself as the feeling pokemon continued playing with Skitty even after they were found.

The boy blinked as someone called his name and saw it was Max ''Hey, you want to start training? Ash's looking for a partner.''

''Okay!''

* * *

''Y-you were right, Ash. Brock's cooking is great.'' Wally remarked.

The boy grinned ''I knew you'd like it!''

''Thanks, Wally.'' Brock smiled. ''Seems like you guys had a good time working out back there.''

''You bet.'' Ash returned while Wally smiled. ''The battle was fun. I think Wally would do really well when he starts challenging gyms.''

''I think so too.'' Max nodded. ''Speaking of, we've got to keep plans for that in mind so Wally could challenge some of the gyms we've visited.''

''Good point...'' Brock started.

Wally bit his lip, he hadn't thought of that before. In hindsight, it seemed really obvious though. ''I-I don't want to get in the way...''

''Ah, don't say it like that. You wouldn't be after all.'' Max said kindly.

''Yeah, we can figure it out easily.'' Ash added, with May and Brock nodding to this, eliciting a grateful look from the boy. Ash then went on ''You should have come too, May. It would have been better with the three of us.''

''Maybe next time.'' The girl returned.

''You really should, you want to do well in your next contest too, right?'' Max added.

May, who had been reaching for her water container as she was about to answer, paused as she realized that it was too light. ''...I forgot we were running low...''

''Yeah, we need to look for some water.'' Brock nodded. ''Let's get started.''

* * *

The boy led the group into the forest with Mudkip and Lotad in tow, the three intent on finding a source of water. Unfortunately, the only one they found was a small stream which was dried up and it didn't look like things were going to get any better. Even the water pokemon were at a loss...

''Should we just leave this until we get to a town? I checked the map, we're not too far away from one...'' Max trailed off.

''And wait even longer? I'm thirsty.'' May cut in. ''There's got to be at least one place around here. Let's just...'' She blinked, spotting something flying nearby. ''...what's that?''

Her brother started ''It's a Solrock! What's it doing here?''

Ash raised an eye ''Solrock?'' He took out his pokedex and held it towards the pokemon.

 _''Solrock, the meteorite pokemon, sunlight is the source of its power. It is said to posses the ability to read the emotions of others. This pokemon gives off extensive heat while rotating its body.''_

''Ah, there it is!'' An old woman came out running from their far left. ''Still causing trouble, I see, well we won't have it anymore!''

''Uh, excuse me, what's the matter?'' May asked.

''I'll explain later, just please help me deal with that pokemon!''

Solrock was clearly catching on to the potentially troublesome situation as it flew back and made to tackle the old woman and Brock. Fortunately, Lotad intervened to make it change course with a Water Gun. The meteorite pokemon responded by using Fire Spin though Brock had Lotad dodge and blast Solrock with another Water Gun. Lotad, who had clearly put more into this next move, sent Solrock crashing down. It quickly began to get up though, but then...

''It's leaving?'' May blinked twice as the pokemon floated away.

Ash looked just as confused ''That's weird...''

''Well...'' Brock stopped in his tracks as Lotad began to glow. The light intensified as the pokemon's body grew bigger and in seconds, it was now a Lombre!

Max perked up ''Whoa, Lotad evolved!''

Brock grinned ''This is great!''

''Oh, it certainly is! To think I found just what we needed after all!'' The old woman said happily.

The breeder was puzzled ''How do you mean, ma'am?''

''Your pokemon can help our village! Follow me and I'll explain everything.''

* * *

Introductions went around and they learned that the old woman was Romilda, the elder of her village. She quickly took the group to said village, which seemed rather quiet and almost forlorn.

Wally couldn't help but notice something odd ''The roofs of those houses all look like lilypads...''

May blinked ''Whoa, you're right. It reminds me of Lombre...'' She looked at Romilda. ''...so people here really like Lombre or something?''

''Of course, it's been that way for years. This is simply our way of honoring that noble pokemon.''

Now curious, May decided to look up Lombre's information on her pokedex...

 _''Lombre, the Jolly pokemon.''_ The machine buzzed. _''It lives at the water's edge whenever it's sunny. It sleeps on a bed of water grass at day and becomes active at night.''_

''You see, our village has been experiencing a drought for a while now. Ever since that Solrock appeared in the area.'' Romilda explained. ''We've been trying to find a way to deal with it but so far we're coming up short and the situation simply won't improve.''

''That's because as I told you before, it isn't Solrock's fault.'' They were approached by a young woman with blue green colored hair and matching eyes.

Brock began to smile and he immediately dashed to her ''Hello there, lovely lady, I've come to save your village from this terrible drought with my trusty partner...''

He didn't get much farther as Max chose the moment to pull him by the ear ''Oh no, you don't! I can already see where this is going. We're here to help, not to make sure they kick us out!'' He ignored Brock's groan and pulled him away.

Ash, Pikachu and May sighed while Wally seemed confused ''Erm, what's...''

''You learn not to ask, Wally.'' May cut in. ''Just for the record, you're going to be seeing this a lot.''

The boy was even more thrown off now. He did see Brock acting similarly around Verdanturf's Nurse Joy, Doctor Abby and even Wanda (though that had been put to a quick stop once he learned of her relationship with Leon). So this was usual for their friend?

The new arrival quickly introduced herself as Mary and began to get the details straight, finally asking ''So the elder wants you to help us with this drought?''

Ash nodded ''She thinks Brock's Lombre can do something about it.''

Romilda cleared her throat ''Long ago, a Lombre watched over our village. It always ensured that the people had water and defended our spring against any trouble. That's why Lombre is an esteemed pokemon around these parts.''

''What's this about a spring?'' Brock asked.

It was Mary who answered ''Our village's irrigation depends on a small spring located at the shrine but it's almost dried up by now. We can't do anything about it. Since the news about meteor sightings spread out and Solrock appeared then, everyone's convinced that it's responsible. And they're trying to figure out how to get rid of it.''

''Wait, what?'' Ash frowned. ''We didn't know this was what she wanted. How can they blame Solrock just for being around? That's not fair!''

''Solrock didn't seem so bad, all it did was defend itself before. It even left right when it got the chance.'' Wally added, also thinking that something was off here.

''It has to be Solrock!'' Romilda, who they hadn't noticed her leave earlier, returned with a few instruments at hand. ''And it's time we do something about the trouble it caused us!''

Brock frowned a bit as he watched her leave ''I don't like this either, you guys. But we better follow her and make sure things don't get even worse. We might be able to fix things too.''

His friends agreed to the suggestion and so all hurried after Romilda...

* * *

The elder had gathered the villagers, who all had musical instruments at the shrine. She quickly explained that they needed Lombre to do a rain dance and ward Solrock away.

Max looked annoyed ''Would you lay off Solrock already? It's not a bad pokemon!''

''Exactly.'' May agreed with her brother. ''I'd be scared too if I were lost in a strange place, there has to be a better way about this.''

''I think they're right, please don't be so harsh. Solrock's just trying to defend itself in a hostile environment.'' Mary added.

''You children don't understand!'' Romilda snapped. ''This is the only way, now, everyone let's begin!''

At her call, the villagers began to play with their instruments and eventually made a tune. Lombre seemed to like it as he began to dance about merrily. As the procession went about, May's Skitty got out of her pokeball to join Lombre in the dance. But nothing happened, even when the villagers tried to make things go faster for more effect...

Mary seemed to be expecting this however ''This won't work. We need to find a different way to deal with Solrock.'' She didn't miss Romilda's distaste and went on ''We need to keep our options open, I think we can make this work if we try a number of methods. For one thing, the dance idea doesn't seem so bad.''

It took everyone a few moments to realize she was right as they then saw Solrock flying about in the distance, clearly observing Lombre. This made them agree to hide and keep a careful eye out.

* * *

''Solrock must be the curious sort.'' Brock said quietly after almost a minute when the meteorite pokemon floated down to Lombre's level. Lombre seemed to decide to include it in his dance as he was quick to spin Solrock around. Not that the pokemon minded, as it clearly found this amusing with how its eyes curved up as if it were smiling. It was surprising to note how they were getting along and Brock couldn't help but wonder if Lombre could help with the village's trouble in a different way after all.

While they watched the pokemons' interactions, May and Mary wound up leaving to chase after Skitty, who had suddenly taken off. Knowing they could ruin this if they made too much noise, they let the girls handle that issue and waited.

''They're getting along. Maybe when Solrock calms down, it won't use Sunny Day again.'' Ash remarked with Pikachu chirping in agreement.

Romilda's eyes narrowed ''That strikes me as entirely too optimistic. No, we'll just have to find another way and deal with that...''

''Please, wait!'' Wally interjected. ''Wait just a little longer, don't do anything you might regret. This just needs a bit more of a chance.''

The elder seemed to consider this before conceding ''All right...'' Ash and Max sighed in relief. Just as they began to deliberate what to do, May and Mary returned.

''We know what's going on now!'' The latter said.

''Solrock wasn't the problem, it's Team Rocket!'' May added, surprising everyone present. They were startled as the earth shook under their feet in moments before hearing Lombre's cry, finding the pokemon being hauled by a giant hand which was connected to a huge green mecha which busted its way through the trees.

''Not you again!''

''Seeing you twerps isn't exactly the highlight of our day either.'' Jessie leered. ''But since you're here...Prepare for trouble!''

''And make it double!'' James added.

''To protect the world from devastation!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reach to the stars above!''

''Jessie!''

''James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash speed towards the light!''

''Surrender now or prepare for a fight!''

''Meowth, that's right!'' Meowth chimed in with Wobuffet popping up behind him then.

''Who are those people?'' Romilda wondered.

May scowled ''A bunch of lousy crooks, they were the ones stealing all the water from the spring.''

''What?!''

''That's not all we're taking!'' Meowth crowed and the next thing they knew, another hand extended to grab Solrock.

''Hold it! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!'' Ash ordered. His partner jumped and was about to launch the attack but Meowth pressed a switch and one of the nozzles on the mecha's shoulder released a torrent of water that hit the mouse pokemon, leaving it to fall down.

The scratch cat pokemon attempted to repeat this with the mecha's second nozzle and hit the rest with water. This was quickly put to a stop by Wally, who had Ralts reverse the water back to sender with Confusion. Angered, Jessie snatched up the controls and made it so that the first nozzle would fire but then to general surprise, Solrock flew in to shield everyone from the water.

''This is bad, it must be taking a lot of damage!'' Max exclaimed.

But then something strange happened, Solrock began to spin, generating a lot of heat that staved most of the water off. It then proceeded to ram the mecha hard, leaving Team Rocket rattled as the mecha was shaken badly. Ash took advantage of this by having Pikachu hit them with a Thunderbolt, this one managing to send them blasting off again.

''That takes care of that.'' The Kanto trainer looked satisfied.

''Yeah, but I think we have another problem!'' One of the villagers cried.

The 'problem' in question soon turned out to be Solrock, who was still spinning. Before everyone knew it, the weather got really hot, so much so that the nearby bushes even burst in flames.

''Wh-what's going on?!'' May cried.

''I think Solrock may have lost control...'' Mary looked alarmed, wondering what to do. ''...Brock, do think Lombre can stop it?''

''We'll sure try! Water Gun!''

Lombre aimed and fired but it was for naught as Solrock seemed to simply push through all the water with all its spinning and the heat it was generating. Brock tried to have Mudkip help but the pokemon's combined effort only fared just a little better. Seeing that Solrock was heading towards the village, they knew they had to act fast.

Pikachu couldn't attack at close range due to how much heat Solrock was generating and his electric attacks only slowed down the meteorite pokemon a little down.

Wally had an idea ''Brock, can you try having Mudkip and Lotad attack again? I think I might have a way to help.''

The older boy nodded back ''You heard him, guys. Do it!''

Mudkip and Lotad fired the combined blasts of water once more. Wally stepped in then ''Ralts, see if you can get through to Solrock. If you help it calm down, we might be able to stop this.''

Ralts nodded in understanding and proceeded to concentrate its powers on Solrock, wincing a little from the chaotic power he sensed then. He willed himself to concentrate and reach out to the meteorite pokemon...

''Will that work?'' Romilda wondered.

''Let's hope.'' Mary looked concerned.

''They're both psychic types, I think Ralts can get through to Solrock well enough.'' Max remarked.

They soon found out that the wait was worth is as while Mudkip and Lotad helped slow Solrock down, Ralts was able to pull through. Eventually Sorlock stopped spinning, appearing okay. Not only that, the combination of the heat it generated and all the steam from the water caused clouds to form in the sky and it quickly began to rain.

The villagers began to cheer in delight while Mary beamed, sharing the sentiment ''This is wonderful!''

''Oh, thank heavens...'' Romilda smiled.

''Thank you all so much for the help.'' Mary addressed the group.

''My pleasure!'' Brock exclaimed before anyone could respond. ''Now since things are all better again, we should totally get together and...''

This time his attempts failed not because of any interference but due to the fact that Mary hadn't even been listening in all her happiness over the new development. She was currently happily talking to one of the villagers, leaving Brock to sulk and May rolled her eyes at his behavior.

The villagers were more than happy to invite the group to their coming celebration and allow them to rest after all what happened today, an invitation they gladly accepted.

* * *

''You know, we really were wrong...'' Romilda started to say after things settled down. ''...Lombre shouldn't be the representative of our village. There's a much better and suitable pokemon for that station.''

Ash gave her a curious look ''Really? Who is it?''

''Why, Solrock of course!'' She returned happily, taking out a headband with a miniature Solrock on it. The villagers seemed to agree as many of them also wore similar headbands, leaving most of the group to sweatdrop.

''Really...?'' May deadpanned. Well it was nice to see that they changed their minds about Solrock but to do it like this was just ridiculous in her opinion.

She was glad to see that Mary agreed, judging by the exasperated look on her face. ''Well, at any rate, things are looking up from here on out. Solrock doesn't have anything to worry about here now.''

''That's for sure.'' Ash agreed, blinking when Pikachu looked up and motioned them to do the same.

There was Solrock, flying over the village with a clearly relaxed and happy look. It seemed to have taken a shine to the place and the boy figured Solrock may have found a new home.

Well, as they say, all's well that ends well.

* * *

 _And let's stop here._

 _I hope this was good. Sorry this took so long but I've been pretty busy. I'm trying to work on writing when I can but it's kinda hard lately. Even if it takes longer than the others, I'll do my best not to give up on any story I start. Since we've got this sorted, for now it's back to the drawing board for me. Till next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

_MaMcMu: Ah, I already have most of Wally's team figured out. One of them is a pokemon that already fits that role. So if I do it would be later on when they get to Kanto, I think I can fit it there better. Your review gave me a good idea though. I can see at least two of the pokemon I have planned could actually help on that front..._

 _Advance shipper: Huh, you actually make a point there. When I thought of the Delta Episode, I thought for sure that if I'd use, it'd have to be way later but before Kanto. I think you're right about Zinnia getting along with the gang though. I just can't see her being set up with Wally. I mean, sure, I imagine they'd be great friends but other than that? Nah. I haven't really decided how to introduce her, especially considering how she winds up pretending to be a part of one of Team Magma or Aqua but I don't know if I should use that. Anyway, her introduction likely won't be for a while._

 _Zelda: Mario 64: Thanks! Actually, I did have an idea about introducting Lisia in the story sometime soon, maybe when they get to Mauville. I totally see what you're getting at, she'd be a great mentor for May. Well, I can imagine her and Zinnia becoming interested in Ash, and I agree that seeing an Ash and Zinnia pairing out there would be interesting. They are pretty similar for sure, but I really don't know about her being paired with Wally._

* * *

Wally, Brock and Max stepped out of a pokemon center, now ready to keep traveling. Max stretched ''Man, I'm glad we made it out here in good time.''

''Yeah...'' Brock was distracted when Pikachu walked out next, looking exasperated. ''...hey, Pikachu, you know where Ash and May are?''

The mouse pokemon responded by pointing inside. They didn't have to wait long as the sounds of arguing quickly reached them before the two made their presence known.

''No way!''

''But I need to go there!''

''Well I need to get to my goal too!''

Needless to say, the three were very confused. What was going on?

May looked at them ''Guys, help me out. Ash keeps saying we need to get to Lavaridge Town but I have to go to Fallarbor Town for my next contest!''

''Yeah well, Lavaridge has a gym. I want to go for my next badge!'' was the boy's reponse.

''You're just being selfish!''

''Oh yeah?! So are you!''

''Guys, come on, calm down...'' Max started as they glared at each other again. ''...oh, brother...'' He sighed. ''...look, there's really no reason we can't do both.''

''Max is right.'' Brock offered while Wally nodded. ''There's really no need to get so worked up.''

''If we leave it up in the air, I bet Ash will just keep pressing till he gets to the gym first.'' May huffed.

''That sounds like something you'd do.'' Ash retorted with a scoff.

''Excuse me?!''

''You heard me!''

Max held back a groan while Wally and Pikachu tried to calm them down. Brock looked annoyed after almost a minute ''Enough. We can go to the closest town first.'' He ignored their protests and added. ''It only makes sense. Max, which is it?''

''Fallarbor.'' The boy replied promptly, checking his Pokenav. ''And before you start arguing again, you're forgetting that we're all in this. The rest of us think Brock has the right idea. Also, we agreed to go to Mauville first so Wally can challenge the gym, remember?''

This made the two stiffen as they had in fact, forgotten about that and their expressions were a dead giveaway. Wally decided to break the awkward silence ''Ah, i-it's okay, I can wait. I-I don't want to be any trouble.''

Now they knew that he said with the best of intentions but it actually made Ash and May feel worse as he had clearly been concentrated on helping them in the first place.

''You wouldn't be.'' Brock said kindly. ''Don't worry about that. We're all for it, right, Ash, May?''

The green haired boy felt better when the two voiced their agreement. Max rolled his eyes ''Nice, Wally, you're showing more maturity than the two of them combined.''

May looked annoyed while Ash held a wince, wishing he could say something to the statement, which unfortunately very true.

''All right, now that that's settled, let's keep going.'' Brock prompted.

* * *

A while later, they stopped near a river to have lunch and Brock set out to prepare things...

The breeder looked at Ash, who finished setting up the plates ''Ash, I'm almost done, can you let the others know?''

''Sure!'' The boy left, first finding and telling May and Max before he paused, seeing no sign of Wally.

It was Pikachu who found the boy, with him being fast asleep. This prompted them to wake him up.

Wally blinked twice, puzzled, seemingly not having realized he'd slept. Ash helped him up ''Lunch's almost ready, come on.'' They rejoined the others. ''No surprise you're tired, you're not used to traveling yet. Starting off can be hard.''

''Absolutely.'' May agreed. ''I like it but it sure was a pain for me. Mostly after what happened to my bike...'' She trailed off, not noticing Ash stiffen at this.

Brock did, though. It made him think back ''Huh, reminds me of when Misty complained about Ash ruining her bike...'' He trailed off when Pikachu looked uncomfortable. ''...wait, don't tell me...?''

Max and Wally shared curious look before they turned to Ash, who merely rubbed the back of his neck. May began to grin at the unspoken confirmation ''Oh really? Well, what a funny coincidence. I sure hope it doesn't become a pattern, Ash.''

The boy tossed her an annoyed look ''It was hardly out fault.''

''I know, I know. Just messing with you.''

''So, ah, who's Misty?'' Wally inquired.

This prompted Ash (who was relieved at the change of subject), to explain about the girl who was their old traveling companion. She was the fourth of the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City and an avid water pokemon lover. She had the dream of becoming a water pokemon master and had traveled with Ash and Brock through both Kanto and Johto.

''She had to stay back in Cerulean when her sisters decided to focus on their performances full time. Now she's the gym leader.'' He concluded.

''She must be pretty tough.'' Max remarked, seeing the boy nod then. ''I read something about Cerulean's gym in a magazine that talked about trainers. The word is it got a whole lot tougher since your friend took over.''

''Whoa, really? Nice!'' Ash grinned. ''Misty must be working hard.''

''It sounds like she's a really good friend of yours.'' Wally noted.

''Absolutely.'' Brock confirmed. ''Let's just say we've had a bit of a rough start but Misty really is a caring a passionate trainer, she's one of our best friends.''

''Really?'' May looked curious. ''You must have come a long way after that rough start.''

Brock chuckled ''You have no idea. I can't count how many times Ash and Misty bickered since I've known them.''

''Hey, we weren't that bad!''

The protest earned Ash a deadpan look from Pikachu, something the others quickly noticed, making them laugh while he sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this.

''You know, I heard that arguing can be a sign of how much people care of each other. Something you're not telling us, Ash?'' May asked with a sly look.

Ash blinked ''What're you even...?''

Brock smiled ''Don't be too surprised. I actually remember some people wondering if you'd ever get together once they saw you in action.''

Ash snorted ''You're kidding, right? We'd drive each other crazy. Misty's more like a sister to me anyway.''

May wasn't sure why, but she felt a growing sense of relief at this. It took her a few to control her expression so it wouldn't show. ''Well, she sounds nice. It'd be interesting to meet her. Max, can you pass the bread?''

A little after they were done eating, Ash spotted some Watmel berries floating down the stream. ''Hey, check it out! This is lucky.'' As he made to get them, he paused when the berries were elevated by a familiar blue energy that brought them to the table. Ash smiled, knowing what this was now. ''Whoa, thanks, Ralts.''

The feeling pokemon smiled, curiously staring at their new find then. He poked one of the berries and May picked it up ''This is totally lucky, can we have it now, Brock?''

''Sure.'' He cut them up and soon everyone had slices in hand. While they enjoyed the tasty berries, Ash had a thought. He took another bite and began to spit the seeds out.

''Ash, that's rude!'' May frowned.

''Sorry, but I like to pretend I can use Bullet Seed...'' He paused. ''...I know! Hey, Treecko!'' The wood gecko pokemon looked at him. ''I got an idea. I'll teach you how to use Bullet Seed!''

Treecko blinked, not expecting that. May gave him a curious look ''Where'd you get that idea?''

''I saw this playback of a really cool battle yesterday int he Center. It'll be really good for Treecko.'' The boy stated. ''Okay, let's get started. Eat up and try spitting the seeds.''

Treecko nodded and went on to do just that. At first, it looked like nothing happened. But then, Ash kept encouraging the grass type and after another attempt, a yellow ball formed in Treecko's mouth.

No one saw this though as just then, a barrage of bullet seeds rained down on them, raising some smoke which Ralts quickly warded with Confusion.

A Grovyle stepped up, clearly angry and it was soon joined by a Slugma. Max stiffened at the sight ''What's going on?!'' Ash and May proceeded to scan the pokemon.

 _''Grovyle, the Wood Gecko pokemon, an evolved form of Treecko. The leaves growing out of Grovyle's body are convenient for camouflaging it from enemies in the forest. This pokemon is a master at climbing trees in jungles.''_

 _''Slugma, the Lava pokemon. Slugma does not have any blood in its body. Instead, intensely hot magma circulates through out this Pokemon's body, carrying essential nutrients and oxygen to its organs.''_

Grovyle used another Bullet Seed but Wally had Ralts stop them cold with Confusion. Just as it looked like the Slugma would attack, a new voice sounded out.

''I found you!''

A girl with green hair in a red jumpsuit came running out of the bushes, scowling. ''You'll pay for stealing my precious Watmel berries!''

''Wait, what?''

''Hold on, we didn't...'' Ash started.

''The proof's right there!'' The girl cut in.

''B-but we just found...'' Wally tried.

''Save it! I'm the caretaker of the berry fields around here. You won't get away!''

''Wait, we really don't want trouble.'' Brock held up his hands.

''Yeah, we didn't steal the berries! We found them in the river!'' May added.

The girl glared back before calling ''Electrode!'' What looked like a huge Watmel berry rolled over, stopping near her. It quickly became evident that this was actually an Electrode when its eyes and mouth became apparent. ''Are those the thieves you found before?'' Electrode shook its head, leaving her stumped. ''What?''

She turned back to the group ''I'm so sorry! I have a terrible habit of jumping to conclusions. Please, forgive me!''

''It's okay, at least things are cleared up.'' Max offered and the rest agreed. ''You said something about berry fields?''

''Yup, mine are just around here. I'll be happy to show you around if you're interested?''

* * *

They learned that the girl was Natasha, who lived nearby with her pokemon and carefully looked after the berries. Hence why she was so angry when she thought they were stolen. Of course, this lead to more apologies and reassurances that no one held it against her.

''You have a fine garden.'' Brock praised.

Natasha smiled ''Thanks, my pokemon are a big help.''

Max noticed Electrode rolling to their far left ''Electrode must be the undercover guard.''

May wasn't sure ''How does that work? Wouldn't people see something off with a berry its size?''

''You'd be surprised.'' Natasha said with a laugh. ''This actually started ever since it was a Voltorb and since it worked so well there was no reason to stop. Electrode's a very good guard.''

Ash spotted Grovyle talking to an Electrike just ahead ''Then I guess you left that Electrike out here just in case those thieves came back?''

''Partly.'' The girl admitted, as a curious May scanned the pokemon.

 _''Electrike, the Lightning Pokemon. Electrike runs faster than the human eye can follow. The friction from running is converted into electricity, which is then stored in this Pokemon's fur.''_

''Electrike isn't actually mine, it just helped us out with a few troublemakers the other day so I let it stay here to rest. I could tell it's been traveling for a while.'' Natasha explained, pausing as she saw aforementioned pokemon staring at them curiously. ''Heya, I'm guessing Grovyle told you? They're friends.''

Electrike nodded back and Pikachu and Ralts approached it before beginning to talk. The others decided to leave them to it, seeing how smooth the interaction appeared to be.

''Your pokemon sure seem strong.'' Ash remarked.

''Thanks, I had to raise strong pokemon to make sure no one takes our crops.'' Natasha returned.

''Would you have a battle with me?''

The girl looked intrigued at the suggestion ''Sure, only could we have a double battle?''

''Totally!''

* * *

Ash, Natasha and Brock (as the referee) all stood at the battle field, which was in the middle of one of the fields. As they went to take their seats, Wally noticed Electrike watching on its own.

''You're welcome to join us.'' He said. Ralts patted the pokemon's head with a smile before joining his trainer. Electrike observed them curiously for a moment before sitting down nearby with a small grin. They watched as Ash sent out Treecko and Corphish while Natasha got Grovyle and Slugma ready.

''Isn't that kind of a bad idea?'' May wondered ''Corphish is weak to grass types. Maybe Taillow and Pikachu would have been a better choice, Treecko seems like a bad matchup against them too.''

''It's not that simple.'' Max returned. ''Like Ash says, battles aren't simply decided by something like type advantage. Let's wait, he probably has a plan.''

''Treecko, use Slam on Grovyle and Corphish, Bubblebeam on Slugma!'' Ash commanded.

Natasha looked confident ''Dodge that, Grovyle and use Bullet Seed!''

Ash's eyes widened when he saw the attack bursting the bubbles before they reached Slugma. Max looked on in awe ''That's a really good use for the move.''

May frowned ''Ash's off to a bad start...''

Unfortunately, Natasha was proving those concerns to be well-founded as she wasn't about to let up, having Slugma attack with Flamethrower. Treecko, the intended target of the blast, jumped behind Corphish as Ash commanded the water type to use Protect. Natasha grinned despite the failure, enjoying herself.

Ash went back on the offensive ''Use Quick Attack and Crabhammer!''

''Grovyle, dodge and use Leaf Blade on Treecko. Slugma, Body Slam!''

Ash grit his teeth as the first hit nailed the mark but thankfully Corphish was able to muster up willpower to use Protect and stop Slugma's attack.

''You're about to lose.'' Natasha warned. ''Slugma, Secret Power!''

''Treecko, get out of the way and slam Grovyle!'' Ash returned.

Max started ''Ash, don't!'' Wally and May looked at him curiously but then turned back to the battlefield. It didn't take them long to spot what Max did. Ash had just made a mistake, as Treecko moving like it did left Corphish wide open. Tired as Corphish was, this was a big problem.

Natasha smirked, seeing the issue as well ''Leaf Blade and Body Slam!''

Both moves struck Corphish and Treecko respectively, with both having trouble dodging since their opponents were moving in such sync. ''They're a really good team...'' May trailed off.

''I'll show you all teamwork.'' Ash declared. ''Treecko, jump to Corphish's pincer and Corphish, Crabhammer!''

This left everyone bewildered, moreso as they watched how good it worked as Ash had Treecko use the boost for its next Quick Attack while Corphish attacked with Bubblebeam, landing both attacks succesfully, making the boy grin.

''That was great!'' Wally smiled, Ralts let out a happy cry while Pikachu beamed.

''Grovyle, Solarbeam!'' Natasha called. Since it was already sunny out, they wouldn't have to wait much for the attack to charge. Ash was well aware of this and so he had his pokemon attack but they were forced back by Slugma's Flamethrower. Grovyle fired the blast and Corphish able to stop it with Protect on command, though that drained it.

''Flamethrower!''

''Bubblebeam!''

Both attacks hit the mark almost at the same time, with Corphish and Slugma collapsing in a faint as a result. Both trainers recalled the pokemon, thanking them for the hard work.

May held back a groan ''I thought he was making a turnaround but this is looking bad...''

Things didn't go far though, as Electrode rolled to the field, startling everyone. Its attention was on Natasha though, as it grunted a few times and looked back at the fields. ''Wait, don't tell me...those thieves are back?!'' Natasha scowled when Electrode nodded. ''Ash, this is going to have to wait. I'll deal with them for good!'' She rushed off with her pokemon in tow and Electrike hurried along.

''Guys, let's go too!'' Ash said, the rest nodded and followed him to help.

* * *

A giant Cacnea mecha was seen harvesting the watmel berries when they reached the destination. Natasha grit her teeth ''Stop right there!''

Laughter resounded at this ''Like we'd stop because you say so, little girl.''

Team Rocket emerged on the mecha's head, making Ash scowl ''You again!''

''Prepare for trouble!'' Jessie smirked.

''And make it double!'' James added.

''To protect the world from devastation!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reach to the stars above!''

''Jessie!''

''James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash towards the speed of light!''

''Surrender now or prepare to fight!''

''Meowth, that's right!'' Meowth chimed in with Wobuffet popping up behind them.

''You twerps are just in time to see us take off with all the berries!'' The scratch cat pokemon added.

''Meowth, why don't you show them what we can do?'' James smirked.

''Gladly!''

He pressed a switched and the mecha scooped up berries into its mouth before spitting seeds at the group, leaving them to defend. Natasha scowled ''I'll show you...Grovyle, Bullet Seed!''

''You try too, Treecko!'' Ash added.

The first nailed the mark, rattling the machine with the hail of glowing seeds but Treecko couldn't do a thing. Team Rocket laughed and struck the younger grass type with one of the mecha's arm, Natasha had Grovyle pick Treecko up before they could do worse.

''Ash, I understand enthusiasm but you shouldn't be so reckless to try an untested move now.'' She chided.

''Right...'' He grimaced. ''...then use Slam!''

''Grovyle, Leaf Blade!''

Both pokemon were forced back when the mecha unleashed more seeds, leaving Team Rocket more smug than ever. When Jessie had of the arms try to snatch the pokemon, it was stopped by Electrike's Thunder Fang.

''Whoa, nice!'' Max exclaimed.

Jessie growled ''Don't celebrate yet. Eat this!'' She had the arm redirected to strike at Electrike.

''Ralts, use Teleport!''

The feeling pokemon placed a hand on Electrike before they were both gone in a second. Then they appeared next to Wally, with Electrike smiling at the two gratefully. Team Rocket had both arms of the mecha sent out but Wally made sure it would get sent back with Ralts' Confusion while Natasha had Grovyle slice at the other with Leaf Blade, stopping them completely.

''Good job!'' Ash said.

''Grovyle, Solarbeam!'' Natasha ordered.

''It's time to try our shut-the-mouth bazooka!'' Jessie declared, hitting another switch. The mecha fired a clamp in the shape of a big X that closed Grovyle's mouth. While Natasha and the wood gecko pokemon tried to get it off, the thieves returned to their harvest. Electrike started trying to bite it off but it also had little effect.

Natasha grimaced ''We don't have time. Can you help deal with them instead?''

Nodding, Electrike turned to the mecha and fired off a Thunder Wave that seemed to force the mecha to slow down. Ash had Treecko ram one of its legs with a Slam, throwing it off balance.

Jessie's eyes narrowed ''Those twerps always have to interfere...''

''Well, we're not done here, fire away!'' James called.

The mecha fired more bullets but that was no problem. ''Let's stop this, Ralts.'' Wally said.

Ralts let out a cry and in seconds, all of the seeds were frozen in with the feeling pokemon's confusion. Ralts redirected the bullets all together, damaging the mecha and beginning to cut into the basket.

''There has to be some way to get those berries back, right? If this keeps up, they'll be ruined.'' May reminded the group.

''There might be, we can just cut the basket right here and now...and I think Pikachu's Iron Tail and Electrike's Thunder Fang could really help.'' Brock suggested.

Ash and Wally looked at the electric types in question ''Yeah, I think it'll work. We'll be counting on you.'' The first said.

''You can do it.'' The latter added.

Both nodded back and Wally continued ''Best to make sure they don't catch, Ralts, use Magical Leaf.''

The feeling pokemon jumped and fired the array of glowing leaves, aiming to both try and block Team Rocket's view, leaving them confused. Pikachu and Electrike got to work, being quickly able to cut through the straps in seconds and so the basket fell down.

''All right!''

''No!'' Meowth exclaimed as they realized what happened too late.

Natasha managed to the clamp off Grovyle ''All right, now use Bullet Seed.''

''Pikachu, Thunderbolt!'' Ash added. Both attacks struck the mecha hard, causing it to blow and sending Team Rocket blasting off again.

* * *

Once everything was settled, Ash and Natasha decided to finish their battle...

''It was a really good battle so far, huh?'' Wally mused, with Ralts and Electrike nodding.

''They definitely don't look like they're giving an inch.'' Max added.

Ash noted something odd about Treecko ''What's up?'' The grass starter glanced back at him and began miming firing Bullet Seed to get its point across. Ash understood ''Wait, you want to try that now?'' Treecko nodded. ''All right, go ahead!''

Treecko concentrated and began the attack, at first it looked like nothing happened again but as it persisted and Ash encouraged it, a yellow ball formed in Treecko's mouth and a hail of seeds struck Grovyle.

Ash grinned ''All right!''

''They did it!'' May smiled.

Natasha looked impressed ''Nice, I wonder if you learned from watching us. Oh, well, Leaf Blade!''

''Dodge and use Slam!''

''Bullet Seed!'' Natasha tried next.

''Get out of the way and use Quick Attack!'' Ash responded readily. Once Treecko was above Grovyle, he added. ''Bullet Seed!''

Treecko nailed it again, though this one seemed weaker. ''Looks like Treecko needs to master it...'' Brock muttered. He couldn't help but note that it was only the fact that both pokemon were tired that stopped Grovyle from attacking then.

Natasha knew her pokemon was getting worn and quickly decided what the next best move would be ''Bullet Seed!''

''You too, Treecko!''

Unforunately, Treecko's attack failed to match up to its evolved form's and it was overwhelmed. In seconds, it was knocked out.

''Treecko is unable to battle, so Natasha and Grovyle win!'' Brock declared.

''All right!'' The girl in question hugged her pokemon. ''Good job, Grovyle!''

''Tough luck, huh?'' Max said as Ash half-smiled.

''Yeah, but it was fun. We got a new attack out of it too, so it all pans out.''

''That's the spirit. You even learn something from a loss.'' Natasha pointed out. ''Well now, how about you all join us for dinner?''

* * *

As preparations went underway near Natasha's home, Ash noticed Treecko walk away and sit on its wrong.

''Hey, what's wrong?'' He asked, joining the grass type with Pikachu. Treecko glanced at him and looked away after a moment, sighing. ''This is about the loss, right? Don't feel bad. You really did great!'' Pikachu nodded and patted Treecko's shoulder, offering some support too. However, Treecko merely stayed quiet, evidently not convinced.

After a few moments, Ash and Pikachu shared a look and came to a silent agreement when their eyes fell on the Watmel berries nearby.

Before Treecko knew what happened, it was struck by a number of seeds. Irked, it glared at Ash and Pikachu, who grinned back. Treecko surprised the pair by retaliating in a similar fashion, pelting both with seeds in the face but Ash just laughed it off.

Smirking, Treecko looked like it really was about to do more when the three spotted Electrike making its way over. The lightning pokemon eventually stopped near Wally, who was talking to Max and Natasha.

''Hey, what's up?'' The girl asked.

Electrike let out a bark and pointed a paw at Wally before its eyes centered on a curious Ralts, who suddenly understood. Ralts waved a hand to get their attention before pointing at the two of them and then at Wally.

''I get it, Electrike wants to battle you guys.'' Natasha concluded, seeing Ralts nod quickly to this.

Max perked up ''This is interesting, you should catch Electrike, Wally!''

The boy's expression made it clear that he hadn't thought of that but it sounded like a great idea. He was already liking the electric type and he had a feeling they'd be good friends. But first, the battle.

''Okay, let's go.''

Electrike smirked and they headed to the field. The lightning pokemon went on to kick things off with a Thunder Wave but Wally had Ralts teleport away. He realized this was a distraction when Electrike came charging in with a Quick Attack and so had Ralts stop the charge with Confusion and push it back. Electrike hit back with Bite and both pokemon were pushed back.

''Electrike's a real go-getter.'' Ash remarked, with Pikachu nodding in assent.

''Yeah and clever, it's totally working hard.'' Max added as they watched the pokemon battle on.

''Magical Leaf!''

Electrike dodged the attack by using Double Team before all the copies charged together with the real Electrike nailing a Thunder Fang. When Ralts tried to hit back with Confusion, the electric type used Double Team again.

Wally tried to think ''Ralts, Magical Leaf!'' He waited until the leaves were closing in on before adding. ''Confusion!''

Now they could see what his plan was and it worked as Ralts was able to manipulate the attack so it struck Electrike and disposed of all the Double Team clones.

''That was some good thinking!'' Brock smiled.

''Try another Confusion!'' Wally added. Ralts quickly trapped his opponent in the psychic energy and threw the pokemon down. They watched as Electrike struggled to get up but clearly appeared dazed.

''Quick, now's your chance!'' Ash called.

Wally nodded and tossed a pokeball, watching it trap Electrike in seconds. Everyone watched with in anticipation as it shook, soon coming to a stop. The boy began to smile as this sank in while Ralts let out a cheer and the others approached them as Wally got the pokeball.

''That was excellent.'' Brock stated.

''Way to go, Wally!'' May smiled.

''Yeah, you guys did great!'' Ash added with Pikachu congratulating Ralts, who beamed.

''Totally, you caught your first pokemon.'' Max grinned.

''For real? Nice going!'' Natasha congratulated. ''I get the feeling you'll be a good trainer for Electrike.''

The boy smiled brightly in return ''Thanks a lot, everyone.'' He let Electrike out, the lightning pokemon appeared tired but satisfied as Wally picked him ''Welcome to the team, Electrike.''The pokemon let out a bark and licked the boy's cheek, making him laugh.

''Well looks like you've got a nice friend here.'' Brock remarked.

Natasha clapped her hands ''Okay, dinner's almost ready, I think we're definitely going to enjoy it after a day like this!''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope you liked it. I've been debating when to introduce Wally's first capture and this just felt like such a nice fit that I had to try it. At first I thought I'd go for a different pokemon but when I sorted through the pokemon I could think of for Wally, this seemed like the best idea._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading so far and if you like the chapter please a review. I like the feedback I've been getting. It makes me want to keep going. But for now it's back to the drawing board so till next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Advance shipper: Thanks, glad you like the story. Now that you mention it, I looked up a whole bunch of pokemon fics but it never occured to me to check out those pairings. Heck I don't even remember seeing them...weird. I agree with you in that they could actually work out nicely._

 _Guest: Well, I can't really say much as it's still far in the future. But yeah, I'll probably handle those parts differently, even if a little. It's too early to say for sure. I never actually considered pairing Ash and Greta but yeah it sounds good. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a story with that pairing before..._

* * *

''Treecko, Quick Attack!''

''Leer!''

May, Max and Brock watched in interest as Ash and Wally continued their practice battle, with Electrike's glare startling Treecko into stopping in his tracks. Electrike continued the offense with a Quick Attack on command but was stopped by his opponent's Bullet Seed.

''All right, use Slam!'' Ash called.

Treecko jumped and swung his tail, gaining more momentum with the descent. Wally thought fast and called out. ''Jump and use Thunder Fang!''

Then, to general surprise, Electrike timed his jump well and caught Treecko's side, spinning once before throwing the grass type down.

''Nice, Wally's really getting better.'' Max remarked.

''Yeah, especially if you consider how Electrike's only been with us for a couple of days. They make for a good team.'' Brock smiled.

Evidently Ash was thinking along similar lines because his next words were ''You guys are doing good. Now...''

The words died in his mouth as he heard the bushes rustle nearby, seconds later, a Zangoose came out. The pokemon's eyes narrowed when it saw the group, seeming angry. Treecko and Electrike watched the newcomer warily, ready for any trouble.

''What's that?'' Ash scanned the pokemon.

 _''Zangoose, the Cat Ferret pokemon. Zangoose usually stays on all fours, but when angered, it gets up on its hind legs and extends its claws. This pokemon shares a bitter rivalry with Seviper that dates back over generations.''_

''I wonder what it's even doing here...'' May trailed off.

A bigger Zangoose came from the same direction as the first, pausing next to said pokemon. They watched as the pokemon began to address it. Electrike blinked, noticing something odd. That second Zangoose didn't really feel right...

''Something wrong?'' Wally asked.

Nodding, the lightning pokemon pointed a paw at the second Zangoose, seeming confused.

''You mean there's something odd about that one?''

Electrike nodded, making the others look closer before the two pokemon walked over. It was then that they understood just what was strange here. For the second Zangoose was no pokemon. It was a boy dressed in a Zangoose costume!

''Whoa, hey, Ash!''

Aforementioned boy perked up ''Nicholai!''

* * *

As they prepared a picnic and healed Treecko and Electrike, Ash and May explained how they had met before Brock and Wally joined their travels. Nicholai had been aiming to challenge the Petalburg gym and was looking to capture a Zigzagoon. He had battled May on account of her being Norman's daughter but since she was so new to battling, she lost. After some trouble, they helped him catch a Zigzagoon and each went on their way.

''So did you go to the gym after all, Nicholai?'' Max inquired.

''Yup, I lost...you guys were right. Norman's really strong.'' The boy stated. ''He was super nice though, he and Caroline let me stay over and they even told me about you guys. They were surprised to know we met. I made up my mind after that loss and I've been training a lot to improve.''

''I did too.'' Ash stated. ''What do you say to a battle?''

Nicholai grinned ''You're on!''

* * *

And so the two were off to a field with Brock refereeing, Nicholai wasted no time in getting himself in a Marshtomp costume.

''Don't be too surprised.'' May told Wally, having spotted his curious look. ''He did that back when we first met too. He says it's a way to get closer to pokemon.''

''I'm still wondering how that works...'' Max admitted.

''Maybe it helps put some pokemon at ease.'' Wally suggested and the boy's expression turned thoughtful.

May blinked ''Wait, if it's a Marshtomp outfit now, wouldn't that mean...?''

Nicholai wound up proving her rising suspicion true when he sent out a Marshtomp, and she couldn't help but remember the Mudkip she had battled early in their journey.

A curious Ash scanned the pokemon and his dex buzzed _''Marshtomp, the Mud Fish pokemon and evolved form of Mudkip. The surface of Marshtomp's body is enveloped by thin, sticky film that enables it to live on land. This pokemon plays in mud on beaches when the tide is low.''_

''So his Mudkip evolved, cool, all right Treecko, let's go!'' Ash called.

''Don't get cocky because of type advantage. Water gun!'' Nicholai ordered.

''Dodge and go into Quick Attack!'' Ash returned.

Then, to some surprise, Nicholai appeared unfazed. The reason was quickly proven when Marshtomp adjusted the attack to nail the gecko pokemon perfectly.

Max's eyes widened ''Whoa, Marshtomp can do that, even when Treecko's so fast?''

''I think it's all due to skill.'' Wally remarked, thinking back on something he learned from Petalburg's Nurse Joy. ''Pokemon get stronger and learn new moves but they also improve their own attacks especially when they evolve.''

The boy nodded, knowing he was right. ''They must have worked hard...''

The battle went on and both sides gave as good as they got. Marshtomp nailed Treecko with an Iron Tail and went to use Mud Bomb. Ash had Treecko counter with Bullet Seed.

''Water Gun!''

''Get back and then use Quick Attack!''

Nicholai smirked ''Gotcha, Mud Shot!''

The idea had seemed effective as Treecko was just above Marshtomp but the grass type was able to press on just as Ash ordered a Pound Attack.

''Now Bullet Seed!''

The next strike struck Marshtomp hard and knocked it out. ''All right!'' Ash cheered.

May perked up while the boys smiled next to her ''They did it!''

''Thanks for the hard work, Marshtomp.'' Nicholai said once he returned the water and ground type to the pokeball. ''We're not done, Zangoose, go!''

The cat ferret reappeared, giving everyone a sharp look like before. Ash grinned ''Okay, bring it!''

''Heh, then let's...''

The boy paused when his pokemon twitched, Zangoose's eyes narrowed then before heading into the bushes, ignoring Nicholai's call.

''What's happened?''

They didn't have to wait for long and Zangoose jumped out quickly at the same time as a Seviper did. The latter pokemon revealed none other than Team Rocket in the bushes.

''You guys again...'' Brock frowned.

''Seviper, you're supposed to help us catch Pikachu, not let them know we're here!'' Jessie scolded.

But the poison type clearly wasn't listening, glowering at Zangoose, who was doing the same in return. Before everyone knew it, the two pokemon began to fight.

''What's going on? They just...'' Max looked bewildered.

''I-if it's like the pokedex said...they're enemies.'' Wally reminded.

Brock nodded ''I heard of something similar. Zangoose and Seviper hate each other, both species have been bitter rivals for ages. It's even worse in the wild, they'll go all out no matter what. All we can do is watch.''

The subjects of their attention were quickly proving this a 100% true as they clashed fiercely with the other, ignoring everything else around them. Their next attacks landed them a bit far from each other and Meowth seized the chance to talk to Seviper.

''Hey! We're here for Pikachu, remember?'' The scratch cat pokemon yelped as Seviper whacked him away before jumping to strike again, nailing Zangoose with its tail. Zangoose slashed its body in return.

''Zangoose, stop!'' Nicholai called.

But just like with its rival, Zangoose had no intention of dropping this anytime soon. It tackled Seviper who bits its shoulder before they bashed their heads together. In seconds, the two had rolled into the river. Regardless, they kept going. Pretty soon Zangoose took another swipe at Seviper, who then hit back with a Poison Tail that knocked its opponent out.

''Zangoose!'' Nicholai was alarmed to find that even this wasn't enough for Seviper, who quickly made to go after his pokemon. But soon the strong currents swept Zangoose further than it could reach and the boy couldn't return Zangoose to the pokeball either.

While Team Rocket worked on controlling Seviper, Ash looked back at the others ''Come on, we've gotta find Zangoose!''

* * *

In the end, the group split up into two and searched the sides of the river. Thanks to Brock's suggestion, Wally got Ralts to search via his psychic powers, hoping that he could sense even if just that Zangoose was close.

This turned out to be helpful as Ralts was able to steer them in the right direction. With that, they came to find the cat ferret pokemon who was now lying at the river bank. They quickly got Zangoose settled safetly and began tending to him while Ash sent Pikachu and Electrike to get the others.

''Is Zangoose any better?'' Ash asked after Nicholai finished using some medicine on the normal type.

''It...doesn't look that way...'' The boy looked troubled.

A familiar cry made them both look at Ralts as he walked over, levitating a plastic cover with some pink liquid with in it. Nicholai took the item ''You're saying this would help?'' Ralts nodded and pointed at Wally, who was getting a couple of Sitrus berries out before walking nearby and examining some plants before picking up some herbs.

Deciding to take the help for what it was worth, Nicholai helped Zangoose drink the concoction while Ash joined Wally.

''So what was that?''

''Pecha berry juice.'' The boy replied before he began to mash the berries with the herbs. ''I thought Zangoose might be affected with Seviper's poison. This should help like that potion, those herbs would reduce the pain.''

''Heeh,'' the boy was relieved. ''So you know how to make medicine like that? That's great..''

''Well, I had a great teacher.'' Wally said with a smile. He had been Nurse Joy's unofficial assistant for almost a year, this was just him putting things he learned to good use. ''I...hope this does help...''

As it turned out later, it did. Brock was pleasantly surprised to learn of Wally's idea and gladly praised the boy before he proceeded to help Zangoose. With their combined efforts, the pokemon was already looking plenty better...

* * *

Around the same time...

James quailed under Seviper's angry glare after trying to adminish the snake for not helping them earlier but Seviper just decided to let him off after an apology.

''So lemme get this straight, this really is like that twerp was saying and you wanted to get at that Zangoose?'' Meowth clarified, Seviper nodded in response. ''Why do you care about a pokemon you've never seen before?''

''Isn't it obvious?'' The three looked at Jessie. ''It's a fierce hate grudge. I know just how Seviper feels. It's like with me and Cassidy, dealing with her makes me want to kill someone.'' Her eyes narrowed. ''Seviper, I'll help you defeat Zangoose!''

* * *

''...Guys, how is this going to help?'' May demanded.

''It'll work!''

'This' being Ash and Nicholai's new plan. After looking up info on Seviper and Zangoose, they agreed to get costumes of the two pokemon to try and see if it would help them look at things from their perspective.

Oddly enough, it did seem to change things as the two began to glare at each other, clear anger on their faces.

''Oh, no way...'' May started.

''...it's like they hate each other all of a sudden...'' Wally trailed off.

''It's a simulation, I don't think...'' Brock sweatdropped as the boys began to wrestle each other. ''...I'm beginning to understand your concerns...''

''They're getting way too into this.'' Max deadpanned.

The fight might have continued longer had it not been for Electrike, who waited until the boys were at a distance before unleashing a Thunder Wave that startled them.

''H-hey, what was that for?!'' Nicholai yelped, Electrike merely looked annoyed.

''Guys, Electrike has the right idea. How is this supposed to help?'' Brock demanded, the boys cringed and muttered apologies as they realized he was right.

''But man, that was weird...it actually felt like just seeing that costume made me angry...'' Ash mused while Nicholai nodded.

May spared them an annoyed look ''Again, not helping guys.''

''Sorry...''

Suddenly, Zangoose sat up and walked into the bushes, leaving them surprised. ''H-hey, Zangoose!'' Nicholai went after him.

''What was that?'' Ash blinked.

''Hey...'' May held up a hand. ''...you hear something?''

It didn't take them long to understand as they could all hear familiar hissing coming from somewhere nearby. Max grimaced ''Oh great, Seviper's back!''

When they caught up, it was to find Seviper and Zangoose battling again, with an enthusiastic Jessie cheering her pokemon on. Just then, a mechanical arm stretched out and grabbed Pikachu before throwing him in a cage held by James.

''Pikachu!'' Ash glared at the remaining Rockets, who appeared very pleased with themselves.

''We've done it, now let's go!'' James exclaimed.

''What're you talking about? I'm not going anywhere!'' Jessie stated, ignoring their shock. ''I'm seeing this through to the end. I did say I'll help Seviper with this grudge.''

''Things won't be the same as last time!'' Nicholai said, while he wanted to help his friends, he also had to help Zangoose.

Meowth was annoyed ''Fine! Then we'll handle it ourselves. C'mon, Jimmy. Prepare for trouble!''

''Eh?'' James was obviously thrown off but he quickly got into the spirit of things. ''And make it double!''

''To protect the world from devastation, meowth!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reach to the stars above!''

''Meowth!''

''And I'm James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash toward the light!''

''Surrender now or prepare to fight!''

''...Wow, you idiots managed to make your motto sound even more ridiculous than before. I didn't think that was possible.'' Max said flatly.

''Just shows what you know, twerp! This is fine art and poetry in motion!'' James retorted.

''And to prove our superiority further, we'll be gettin' outta here!'' Meowth added before the two left.

''Oh no, you don't!'' The group set out to chase them.

''Ralts, use Confusion!'' Wally called. In seconds, the two thieves were lifted up in the air by the psychic power, leaving them to panic and flail where they were before Ralts made them fall.

''Nice!'' Ash smiled.

James got up and scowled ''Cacnea, go!'' Once again, the pokemon tried to hug him but James stepped away. ''Sandstorm!''

This quickly proved to be a mistake as the forceful attack wound up also sweeping the cage holding Pikachu in the air. Seeing where it was launched, May hurried to catch the item while Cacnea tried and failed to knock it out of the air.

''Cacnea, get the cage!''

May flinched in surprise as the pokemon made to jump at her...only to be sent flying back onto James by Electrike's Quick Attack while Treecko hit knocked Meowth back with a Pound.

''Thanks, Electrike!''

The pokemon nodded back and they hurried to the others. They immediately set out to break it. Thankfully, it didn't long but through the time it took, the battle between the rivals had gotten them there.

''Oh, man they're still going strong...'' Max noted.

''I still don't get how two pokemon can just hate each other like this.'' May admitted.

Jessie smirked ''Seviper, Poison Tail!''

''Get out of there!'' Nicholai called, smiling when Seviper crashed nearby. ''Good, now use Slash!''

Jessie gasped as her pokemon was struck, immediately calling for a Wrap attack. This almost got Zangoose but Nicholai noticed how one of the pokemon's arms was still free.

''Crush Claw!''

Zangoose's claw glowed before striking Seviper hard once again and it finished the fight with a double dose of the attack, to Jessie's shock and dismay.

''Way to go!'' Nicholai smiled.

''Now that's what I'm talking about!'' Ash grinned.

Jessie sighed and returned her pokemon ''Well, that's that. You put up a good fight, Seviper. I'm satisfied.''

''Well, we're not!'' Meowth declared as they stepped up.

''Yeah! Cacnea, get them with Pin Missile!'' James called.

''Pikachu, fire back with Thunder!'' Ash returned. The powerful electric easily overwhelmed the Pin Missile and wound up getting the thieves blasted off again.

''Glad that's over.'' Max sighed.

''Yeah, they're a pain.'' His exasperated sister agreed. ''Guys, can we get something to eat already? I'm starving.''

''Good idea.'' Ash agreed. ''Maybe we can finish our battle after that.''

''Maybe, but I want to try battling Wally too.'' Nicholai admitted.

''Sounds fun.'' Aforementioned boy smiled.

''Then let's go!''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope this was good. I really didn't mean for this update to take so long but I just haven't been able to work on this story (or fanfiction in general) for a while. But I'm going to try and get myself back in the spirit of things._

 _Oh, just a little tip, Wally's first gym battle will be in Chapter 10. There's something I want to try in the next chapter and it'll help me set up for Mauville, so there's that._

 _Thanks to everyone who read this story and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Wow, I just started this story on a whim so it's really surprising to see that it's getting such a good response. Thanks, you guys are awesome._

 _Mighty ranger 1: Thanks, that's nice to hear. I'll check out that story when I have a chance. I don't know much about Easter celebrations but the idea sounds interesting..._

 _Advance shipper: That's really nice of you to say, your review seriously made my day. Well considering the pairing, I did consider having Ash and May do some events and activities together, like that double battling episode. Those games you mentioned sound like Pokeathlon and I'm not sure I can fit that here. I know that one's far but I'm definitely having them both participate in the Teracotta contest. I'll check that story you mentioned soon and I'll definitely keep giving this story my all._

 _Mario 64: Thanks. I did consider having them catch some different pokemon before but I haven't really decided which pokemon per se. I definitely want to play things a little differently with May and Swablu for starters and I think it might fit nicely considering what I've done in this chapter. I don't know about Nuzleaf but I was starting to think that since Max is too young to train pokemon, May could catch a pokemon for him. You know, like how Clemont caught Dedenne for Bonnie._

* * *

Knowing that they were close to Mauville City, Wally and his pokemon had begun an early round of training.

''Nice work, you two.'' The boy said when Ralts and Electrike stopped, he gave them a couple of berries. ''Let's leave it at that. You're definitely improving a lot. I think we'll do really well at the gym.''

Ralts smiled up at him while Electrike let out a happy bark. Just as they had been about to head back and meet their friends, a loud cry brought their attention back to the forest path nearby.

There was an Ursaring towering over a Spinda who was trying to back away in fear. Thinking fast, Wally had Ralts stop it with Confusion and lift it into the air to leave it vulnerable for Electrike to stun it with Thunder Wave. Ralts let the bear pokemon fall hard and it was knocked out.

The Spinda relaxed and went over to the three, smiling as it began to thank them with a small bow.

Wally smiled ''Glad you were okay...''

The four were startled by the sound of footsteps, making them look over to the source to see a girl making her way out of the bushes. She had turqouise hair and matching eye eyes and wore a blue and white dress with some accessories, some of which that resembled clouds.

''I found you.'' The girl smiled at the Spinda, holding out two sitrus berries. ''You left before I could give those.'' Spinda trilled happily and took the berries, also giving a slight bow while he thanked her. ''Aww, aren't you cute?''

Wally had been thinking that there was something familiar about the girl and then it came to him. What was she doing here?

The Spinda made to head out, stopping to wave goodbye at the four before leaving. The girl looked back at Wally ''I saw what you did back there, that was really nice.''

''Ah, it wasn't much, really. If anything, I'd say the same to you. I actually thought that Spinda was yours for a bit.''

''Oh, I'm sure that little cutie belongs to a trainer. It looked like it really wanted to go somewhere so I thought I'd help.'' The girl admitted. ''I have to admit, this is a rather unusual meeting for me.''

While the pokemon were confused, Wally understood ''W-well, I actually recognized you before...I know you're famous and all but that doesn't mean I can't treat you like I would anyone in this situation, right?''

The girl giggled ''Absolutely! No complaints here, it's actually refreshing. Well then, I'm Lisia, nice to meet you.''

''Likewise, I'm Wally.''

''So are you three traveling on your own?'' The girl inquired.

Wally shook his head ''Our friends are back at camp. I'm planning to challenge the gym so we took some time off to train.''

''Heeh, you mind if I come with you? I'd like to meet your friends.''

''Sure, come on.''

* * *

Lisia got a more predictable reaction and one she encountered plenty when they got to the camp, thanks to May and Brock.

''Wow, I can't believe it's Lisia!'' The girl exclaimed once the group of four made it back to the camp. ''I've heard so much about you. You're amazing!''

''Thanks...'' Lisia didn't get any further as Brock immediately stepped in.

''I've seen you on TV before but you're even more dazzling in person!'' He exclaimed. ''It's an honor to meet you, I would love if you could join me...''

''Okay, stop right there.'' He was forcefully cut off as Max grabbed his ear and pulled him away. ''I'll just spare her the trouble of dealing with you now.''

Ash looked at Wally ''So she's famous?''

The boy nodded ''She's a top coordinator whose been doing her best to promote contests ever since she won the Grand Festival a couple of years ago.''

''Ohhh, cool!'' Well, that explained May's reaction. Come to think of it, wasn't there some video about her the other day...?

''At least you're not falling all over yourself like those two, Wally.'' Max remarked.

''Well I don't want to be rude, besides that kind of thing just seems really weird to me. There was this one time, a famous trainer came to Verdanturf and you wouldn't believe how many people were practically rushing to meet him...''

''I hear you.'' Ash nodded, he could imagine something like that really easily. Actually, he couldn't picture Wally acting like that, ever.

''Yeah, glad you're not like that.'' Max added. The two boys exchanged a look, had Max forgotten what he was like when he met Ash? They silently agreed not to drop the matter.

''Heeeh, so that's how it is...'' Lisia began to smile as the group took turns telling her about their journey.

''So you're going to Mauville too?'' Ash inquired.

''Yup, one of my old friends wants to show me an idea she's worked on. I was in the area anyway so I'll be checking out.''

''What're the odds? Would you like to come with us?'' Brock wondered.

Lisia smiled ''Sure, sounds like fun.'' She looked around. ''So besides May, have any of you entered a contest?''

''Nah, it's just not my thing...'' Ash trailed off.

''I guess I never really considered it.'' Brock admitted.

''I've been thinking of trying one...'' Wally trailed off. It had mostly because of Dr. Abby, who had been quite a positive influence during his stay in Verdanturf.

''You totally should, contests are fantastic.'' Lisia said brightly. ''It's like a whole other way for you and your pokemon to really connect to each other.''

Ash half-smiled, feeling her passion ''You sure love contests, huh?''

''Totally! Uncle started teaching me all about them and I was hooked. There's a whole lot more to pokemon than just strength. You can raise 'em to be beautiful or to be tough as nails. They grow and change, trying as hard as they can to live up to their trainer's feelings. That's why I think a Trainer shouldn't just depend on Pokemon. The trainer's gotta be as cute or cool so they can stand proudly next to their pokemon at the end of the day.'' Lisia blinked. ''Oopsies, sorry, I went on too much...''

''Not at all!'' May assured. ''I really see what you're getting at, it's a great goal.''

''Yeah, those are words to live by.'' Brock agreed and the rest nodded, making the girl grin at them.

''It would be nice seeing you three in a contest.'' May told Wally and his pokemon. ''I bet your pokemon would be so cute...'' She caught Electrike frowning at this and smiled. ''...oh, let me guess, you don't like being considered cute, right?''

Electrike nodded without hesitation. Nothing against pokemon who liked it but he was not cute and he'd never consent to being considered so.

''Not a problem here. You're more along the lines of cool anyway, Electrike.'' Wally remarked, eliciting a grin in return that left some of them to laugh.

* * *

After they returned to traveling, the group came across an odd sight.

It was a group of Spinda, all moving in somewhat erratic motions. Ash raised an eye ''Hey, you think they're okay?''

''Oh, more than. That's actually perfectly normal for Spinda.'' Lisia told him.

''Yeah?'' The curious trainer scanned the pokemon with his dex.

 _''Spinda, the Spot Panda pokemon. All the Spinda that exist in the world are said to have utterly unique spot patterns. The shaky, tottering steps of this Pokemon give it the appearance of dancing.''_

''They really do look like they're dancing...'' May mused.

Then, a young woman in a fancy dress came running, leaving a number of the Spinda to hurry off in surprise. She looked troubled ''So it's not here...''

''Oh, wow!'' Brock almost jumped to her. ''Lovely lady, what a pleasure it is to be treated to such a vision...''

Lisia blinked, glancing to the others as Max pulled Brock away again ''Does this happen a lot?''

''More times than we care to count.'' May said flatly, with Ash nodding next to her.

''Clare!'' A man ran over. ''Have you found him?''

''No, Father...''

''Is something wrong?'' Max tilted his head.

''We're looking for a certain Spinda.'' The man dug in his pocket and held out a picture of the pokemon in question.

Wally and Lisia were surprised, as it was the same Spinda they had encountered earlier. It had a heart shaped spot on its head.

''Hey, that's...''

Clare perked up ''You've seen Spinda?''

Wally nodded ''It was a while ago but we don't know where he's gone now.''

''Then we have to help now!'' Brock exclaimed, startling them.

''Yeah, why not?'' Ash agreed, glancing at the others, who nodded.

''All right then...'' Lisia held up a pokeball and it opened, releasing an Altaria, who chirped and smiled at her. ''...Hey, Ali. We need some help, could you look for a Spinda? One with a heart shaped spot on the head.''

The pokemon nodded and flew up, May watched with a smile ''Ali's even prettier up close...'' She held out her dex and it buzzed.

 _''Altaria, the humming pokemon. Altaria sings in a gorgeous soprano. Its wings are like cotton clouds. This pokemon catches updrafts with its buoyant wings and soars up into the wild blue yonder.''_

''You know, we can help out there.'' Ash told the girl.

May nodded and they released Taillow and Beautifly before giving them similar instructions and going on to search on their own.

* * *

After a while, they were able to find a Spinda, but the spot on its head was round. May looked at the three fliers ''Did you see the Spinda we told you about?''

Just then, Brock spotted one that he was sure might be it and immediately made to grab it. He froze up when he saw that what he assumed to be a heart mark was actually one of a _broken_ heart.

''I guess that Spinda really isn't here...'' Ash looked around with a frown, stopping when he saw a Spinda just ahead. It was the right one! ''...hey, look!''

''Hold on, let's try to sneak up on it.'' Max suggested, fearing that the pokemon may run again. Ash nodded and the two hid behind a pair of trees and waited till Spinda got close before jumping...

But the pokemon had already noticed them and hurried away in time, leaving the boys to groan in disappointment.

''Please, wait!'' Clare called, the spot panda pokemon stiffened for a moment before it headed to the group of other Spinda, soon no one could spot it.

''Oh, man...Beautifly, can you see it?'' May inquired, her pokemon flew for a closer look in response.

Wally remembered Lisia's conjecture on Spinda being a trainer's pokemon, which had him thinking ''Hey, guys? Um, can't we get our pokemon to talk to Spinda? Maybe they can figure out what's going on.''

Brock smiled ''Good idea!''

Ash wished he'd thought of that before ''Yeah, can you try, Pikachu?''

''How about you, Ali?'' Lisia inquired.

Nodding, the two pokemon headed over with a newly sent out Ralts, leaving the Spinda group to stare at them with some caution. Ali spoke up then and everyone figured he must have said something reassuring before a pair of them nodded and stepped back to reveal the heart mark Spinda, who seemed a little unnerved but at least willing to talk.

''Say, Clare?'' The young woman looked at May. ''I've been wondering, you said Spinda was yours. 'Was' as in not anymore?''

''About that...''

The two were startled by a loud cry that made them look back to see a strong beginning to suck up the Spinda. It didn't take everyone look to find that the source of which was a huge vaccuum with a cage attached to Team Rocket's balloon.

''Not again!''

Meowth smirked ''Looks like we're getting the loot, twerps, too bad!''

Seeing that the wind was pulling Pikachu and Ralts up, Ali grabbed both pokemon and held them with a wing. Ralts proceeded to teleport the three of them away from the machine's range and closer to their trainers. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could do to help the Spinda, who were all trapped within moments.

''You three okay?'' Lisia inquired, receiving affirmative responses. ''Who are they?''

''Well, why don't we educate little Miss Idol here on our glorious Team Rocket?'' Jessie suggested.

''Why not?'' James agreed.

Seeing the familiar poses, Max knew what coming ''Glorious, my foot! You can spare us the lousy motto, no one wants to hear it!''

''Lousy?! You little brat!'' Jessie raged.

''It's just fine, Jess. The twerps don't know art and poetry when they see it.'' Meowth cut her off. ''We'll be having the last laugh anyway.''

''Good point.'' She took the heart mark Spinda out of the cage. ''After all this, look what we got!''

Spinda frowned before launching a Dizzy Punch that knocked both down. The pokemon's eyes glowed then, which was all the warning the trio had to the oncoming hypnosis before they fell asleep and the balloon crashed as a result.

When everyone caught up, it was to find a grumpy and groggy Team Rocket along with all the Spinda, who were able to break out of captivity. But then, the heart mark Spinda saw Clare and took off again, much to her dismay.

Clare felt something soft pat her shoulders and looked over to find that it was Ali's wing. Ralts gave her a smile that had her thinking ''Wait, did Spinda tell you three what was happening?''

Pikachu nodded and jumped off Ash's shoulder, gesturing at the area to their far right...

* * *

At the same time...

While they were trying to find the Spinda, Team Rocket came across a Teddiursa and managed to tie it up. They quickly set it up in a Spinda disguise and had it try to attract the group over.

As one might expect, the pokemon was far from willing to cooperate and was in fact trying to break free.

Jessie scowled ''Stop that and start dancing like a Spinda now!''

The Teddiursa glared at her for a few moments before perking up and speaking, making the three note that they weren't alone.

An angry growl alerted them of an Ursaring's presence, making Meowth recoil ''That's Teddiursa's Pops!''

''Come on now...'' James said shakily. ''...we were just...''

But Ursaring made it clear that it was not about to listen to anything they had to say and sent them blasting off with a Hyper Beam.

A young man traveled through a different part of the forest, pausing in surprise when he saw the three flying off...

* * *

Along the way, the others came across the group of Spinda, who were more or less scattered around. Once again spotting the pokemon they were looking for, Brock made to grab it, only to find, that it was the Spinda with the broken heart mark.

''Not again...''

''...Ignoring that for now, are we getting closer, you guys?'' Max asked their wayward guides, with Pikachu nodding in response. ''That's good...''

''So how come you need Spinda this badly anyway?'' Ash asked Clare, pausing when she didn't answer. ''Clare?''

She looked at him in some surprise, appparently having been lost in thought. Her father looked at her in concern ''Is something wrong?''

''Ah, I'm sorry...I was just thinking back. We're very close to where I first met Spinda.'' Clare was startled when Ali called out in surprise and pointed them at the area near the cliff ahead, where Team Rocket was chasing the pokemon they were looking for.

Ash looked concerned when Spinda stopped running ''What's wrong with Spinda?''

He was more confused when the pokemon began to dance oddly and then glowed for a moment. Team Rocket seemed to be affected as they performed the same moves. This causes the shaky part of the cliff they were standing on to fall, leaving them to fall to the river below.

''Ooh, a Teeter Dance!'' Lisia gave a bemused look. ''That little cutie is one resourceful little pokemon...'' She trailed off as the pokemon left just when it saw them.

''Again?''

Clare's father noted how none of their guides were surprised ''Ah, I take it the three of you are already aware of Spinda's destination?''

Ralts nodded back and they proceeded to continue leading them ahead.

* * *

The three wound up taking them to a flower field and Pikachu called out to Spinda, who turned to face them. The pokemon smiled at Clare and ran up to her with a flower.

''Oh...'' She trailed off. ''...it's like the day I found you. You were playing with the flowers too...''

''Aww, isn't this adorable? You just wanted to surprise Clare with the flower, right?'' Lisia smiled when the pokemon nodded.

''That's just so sweet!'' May grinned at Spinda while Wally and Max took turns patting its head and praising it, Spinda smiled bashfully in return.

''Clare was feeling down lately. Spinda must have been looking to cheer her up.'' Clare's father mused.

His daughter beamed ''Thank you...''

''Clare!''

The voice made everyone look to the other side of the field as the young man made his way through, Clare appeared surprised for a moment before she was left delighted as she headed over to him.

''Kain!''

Max blinked ''Who's that?''

''Clare's fiancee.'' Her father returned, watching as a happy Spinda skipped over to the pair.

Brock felt his heart breaking at the news, thinking he could have had a chance with the young woman before. On the other hand, the rest were happy for Clare.

''Clare meant to give Spinda to Kain but the little fellow took such a shine to the both of them that I suggested that they take care of it together.'' The man went on.

''No wonder they look so close, that's great.'' May smiled.

''Yeah and I don't think you can get a more romantic meeting if you tried.'' Lisia addded with the brunette happily agreeing.

''Nice to see things working out so well.'' Wally remarked.

''Yeah, who would've thought...?'' Ash blinked, seeing Brock looking down while the Spinda with the broken heart mark stood nearby. ''What's with him? Wait, don't tell me...?''

''Yeah, I think we better leave him alone...'' Max trailed off.

Suddenly, the ground started to quake as Team Rocket appeared in a giant Spinda mech. They also had some of the Spinda everyone had seen earlier trapped in a box on the mech's bag.

May groaned in annoyance and exasperation ''Don't they ever give up?!''

''We're not going to fail this time, let's nab that Spinda!'' Meowth pressed a button, making the mech fire up both its arms to grab Spinda.

Kain frowned ''Spinda, Hyponsis!''

The spot panda pokemon jumped and made to aim the attack at the gap in the mech revealing the thieves. But they activated another mechanism that raised a reflective dish which bounced it back and put Spinda to sleep instead, leaving them easily able to catch it.

''No!''

''Ali, Dragonbreath now!'' Lisia called.

The Altaria destroyed the arm holding Spinda with the blast of intense heat, leaving him easily able to get the pokemon to safety.

''All right!'' Max cheered.

Jessie growled ''All right, we'll be having a famous contest star pokemon then!'' She directed the other arm to chase the humming pokemon despite his attempts to evade it.

''Stop that thing with Confusion!'' Wally called.

In seconds, Ralts was able to not only stop it but render the arm into a useless piece of scrap that crashed down. As Lisia and Ali thanked their new friends, Team Rocket was left angry and frustrated.

''Way to go, you guys!'' Ash exclaimed.

''Yeah, I'd like to get in on this. Beautifly, Silver Wind!'' May ordered.

''So would I. Pikachu, hit 'em with Iron Tail!'' Ash added.

The two attacks almost wound up knocking the robot down but James was able to right it barely in time. Not that it mattered for Ralts and Ali were able to cease the chance on their trainers' commands to free the captured Spinda.

''Great job!'' Brock called.

Ash grinned ''All right, let's get rid of this thing with Thunder!''

With the powerful burst of electricity, Pikachu was able to destroy the mech and send their enemies flying far away.

* * *

The group bid farewell to Clare, her father and Kain, pleased to watch the couple declare their love for each other before going on their way.

''I never thought things would turn out like this but I like it!'' May beamed.

''You're just a sucker for this kind of romantic stuff, huh?''

She flashed an irritated look at her brother ''I wouldn't expect a little kid to understand.''

''Is he going to be okay?'' Lisia gestured at Brock, who still appeared depressed.

''Yeah, he'll bounce back. One thing you gotta say about Brock is that he's resilient.'' Max returned.

''Hey, Max is right. Chin up, you're not giving up on us now, huh big guy?'' Ash prompted.

''It's okay, like you told us before. You'll find the right person out there someday.'' Wally added.

The breeder only had one response to that ''Of course! I could never stand to leave things as they were, though my heart may break, I'll make it twice as strong!''

''There you go!'' Lisia exclaimed.

Ash looked at Wally ''So, we're almost to Mauville, you ready for that gym battle?''

The boy nodded ''We've worked this hard, we'll just have to give it our all.''

''That's the spirit, I bet you'll do great!''

''Thanks, Ash.''

* * *

 _Well, we're done!_

 _I've been looking forward to getting this one out. I was looking over the episodes before and this idea just came to me so I really wanted to try it out. I was planning to introduce Lisia in Mauville so this just works out all the more better, hope you like it._

 _People have asked about pairings before but the only one I'm really sure of right now is Ash and May, and possibly Drew and Soledad. It all depends on how I can develop the story. Also, I'm looking things over again to help plan stuff ahead. I've basically decided what pokemon I want for Wally but now I'm trying to figure out what non-canon pokemon to choose for Ash and the others. I just need to make sure I can work with them all and hopefully not get in over my head._

 _Anywho, that's all I have to say. Thanks for reading the story so far and I hope you stick with it. Till next time!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey, everybody! Sorry this took so long but I haven't had much time to write and life's still hectic. Plus I had trouble picturing how I want the gym battle to go, but I think it works out well enough in the end._

 _Advance shipper: Thanks a lot! I really like having input like yours, it's always interesting to hear what people think of my work. I was just looking back on the Advance series episodes and when I found the Spinda episode, the idea with Lisia just came to me. Yup, I'm thinking of more interactions for both sides and they can definitely teach the other a lot. Like I said, I haven't really thought of the shipping front that far yet so it's kind of odd for me to imagine Lisia crushing on Ash like a fan girl but I'll probably feel different once I get back to working on that, it all depends on how I can work through things. Your suggestions for the other pokemon are interesting and I'm coming up well on that front. I'll just have to be careful about the number so I can work them all into the story. What you said about Volbeat and Illumise really seems fitting, so I might try. I never really noticed the point about May and Ash's pokemon until you brought it up but you're right, I don't know how I missed it. Anyway, thanks a bunch for the reviews._

 _Doc oc 102: Thanks!_

 _Glaxy: Glad you're having fun! I'm enjoying working on this story too. That's why I really want to think things through so I don't rush and make a mess of it but it's been a blast!_

 _Mighty ranger 1: Wow, thanks! I don't know much about Wattpad to tell you the truth but I'll look into that story when I have the chance._

* * *

The group arrived in Mauville City late the previous night and so they settled down at the pokemon center. They all gathered at the cafeteria for breakfast the next morning...

''So hey, where's Lisia?'' Max asked.

May pointed towards the cafeteria's entrance ''She's decided to be a bit more careful...''

They could immediately see the brunette's point as Lisia was now clad in a big white hat along with a new dress and sunglasses. This might have raised some eyebrows but they figured that the girl was hoping to avoid a commotion like what they dealt with last night, with the people who had seen her (some being avid fans) all looking for a chance to approach her.

Lisia walked to their table ''Hi guys! How do I look?'' She asked, doing a little spin.

''Amazing as ever!'' Brock replied at once, his tone fawning again as Lisia giggled.

Ash nodded ''Good disguise though, hard to tell it's actually you.''

Lisia hummed ''That's what I'm going for.''

''Can't be easy, going through all this when you want some privacy.'' Max stated.

''It can't be helped.'' The girl sat down. ''I do like meeting my fans but there are certain times and places for it. My friend really doesn't like the sort of attention I'm likely to drag his way if I don't be careful.''

''Oh yeah, you never said why you wanted to come.''

''Isaac never told me what he was up to, he had an idea that he thinks could help with contests and he wants my opinion.'' The top coordinator admitted. ''Since I was in the area anyway, I figured I'd stop by.''

May looked interested ''Can we take a look at this too?''

''Sure!''

Ash moved things along ''So you feeling up for the gym battle, Wally?''

''I-I'm not really sure...'' The boy admitted, a little sheepish. ''...I think I'm still nervous, actually. But I still want to do this...''

''That's good. You should just give it you all and not worry about a thing.'' Brock said encouragingly.

Lisia smiled ''Yup, look at this way, Wally. If you're nervous, your pokemon will feel it and none of you would be able to work together as a team. With battles or contests, I think that's the only way to go.''

''She's right. You'll do fine, you guys trained real hard and you're shaping out to be a good team with Ralts and Electrike.'' Ash assured, May nodded to this and Max grinned at the boy while Pikachu smiled.

Wally couldn't help the smile on his face with all the support ''Mm, thank you...''

* * *

Lisia's friend lived nearby, so they were soon at his place. Though it wasn't long before Ash spotted a few posters nearby advertising a coming carnival.

''Hey, that sounds like fun!'' Max exclaimed. ''You guys wanna check it out?''

''I don't think it's ready yet, shouldn't there be any signs around?'' May offered.

Looking at the area again, the boy had to admit his sister was right. For something like a carnival, one would expect far more activity than this...

''Besides, we're almost here. If we go, it should be later.'' Ash added.

''True, okay then.'' Max shrugged and hurried to follow them. Soon, Lisia stopped at Isaac's door and rang the bell.

Moments later, a young man with dark hair and blue eyes opened the door. Lisia perked up and removed her sunglasses, leaving him to start.

''Wait, Lisia?'' He blinked. ''...Guess a disguise was about the only sure way you'd come without the fanfare, huh?''

''It worked, right?'' She said brightly ''So what's up?''

* * *

Isaac spoke as he led them through ''Lisia's plans about advertising contests had me wondering if there was a way we can push that forward. I tried a few things but I eventually settled on this.''

He stopped and gestured to five Pikachu who were hanging out in the garden. Each was dressed up in a certain well made costume. One was in a fancy blue, white and gold dress with a matching hat, the second in what clearly looked like a lab professor's garb with fitting glasses to boot. The third was dressed in a vivid red and black rock star outfit and the fourth was in an orange wrestler costume and the last wore a pink, white dress with matching ribbon tied around one of its ears.

''Whoa...''

''I know props are used in contests every now and then but I figured we could try working something new. I was already looking after two of them for their owners and seeing what moves they had got me thinking so this was the end result, what do you guys think?'' Isaac inquired.

''This is amazing!'' Lisia gushed, patting one of the five Pikachu on the head. ''Full points for creativity, Isaac!'

''Yeah, awesome...'' Ash agreed, looking at the red clad Pikachu as his own electric mouse went to greet it. ''...this one looks cool!''

''And this one's so pretty!'' May grinned at the blue clad Pikachu, who beamed back at her.

Wally smiled at the pink clad Pikachu, who waved at him and Brock in greeting before waving back. ''This seems really interesting.'' The latter added. ''So you have them trained to perform now?''

''Yeah, though I can't take the credit for most of that. Two of them actually belong to some budding coordinators. I'm still working a couple of details out but I'm planning to record the end result.'' Isaac admitted.

Lisia hugged the red clad Pikachu ''They all look great! I'm already looking forward to seeing them in action.''

He looked satisfied ''I thought you'd like it.''

''Like it? I love this idea! You mind showing us some of what the five little stars here can do?''

''Sure!''

* * *

A while later, the group went on their way to Mauville Gym. Just as they arrived, Brock spoke ''Guys, we might want to be careful...remember what happened last time?''

May stopped, looking unnerved as the memory came to her ''Good point, Brock...we better find another way in.''

''We're missing the picture here, guys.'' Lisia cut in. Wally nodded, looking just as puzzled.

Ash started to explain ''Back when we first came...we didn't have a clue what was going on with this place. Turns out Wattson had a bunch of...gimmicks set up here and there and...well, they made a mess of things.''

''That's an understatement. It was like walking into a minefield...'' May muttered.

''Yeah, first we wound up in a crazy fast slide, then there was that river and...don't even get me started on that mechanical Raikou...'' Max grumbled.

''All that even before you get to the gym?'' Wally uttered. He had been looking up some information about the gym leaders recently and he did recall reading something about Wattson and his traps but that really seemed too much.

''I know Wattson likes his gimmicks but this seems like way over the top.'' Lisia remarked.

''It really is...'' May shook her head. ''...anyway, I think I saw a side door. How about we try that one?''

Facing the odds they were, they had no problems agreeing to that suggestion. However, it didn't seem like the side door was any help. Just as they wondered what to do...

''Oh? Hey, if it isn't Ash!''

The boy turned, his eyes widening at the sight of the new arrival ''Wattson!''

The man grinned as they exchanged greetings ''Oh and you guys are all with Lisia too. Good to see you all again. Been a while, huh? So you hear for a rematch?''

''Actually...'' The thought hadn't occurred to the Kanto trainer but it might be nice to try. First things first, though...

''Ah, gotcha.'' The gym leader nodded once Ash explained everything. ''Well, that sounds great. You're more than welcome to my gym, kiddo!''

He began leading them ahead, surprisingly taking them to the front door. Max looked unnerved ''Wattson, are you sure that's a good idea?''

''Hm?'' It took the man a moment to catch on. ''Oh, you thinking about my little set up? There's no surprise this time. We got a whole lot of complaints so I'm in the middle of some renovations, I'm only keeping the moving side walk route operational.''

Max was firmly of the opinion that there was nothing small about that cluster of trouble they encountered on their first visit to the gym. In fact, he could understand perfectly why people would complain. One look at his sister proved that she felt similarly. All he could think at the moment was thank heavens for small mercies.

* * *

Minutes after arriving, they were welcomed by Wattson's assistant Watt, who it quickly became clear was a fan of Lisia. He'd been stunned to know that his boss had actually met the girl before but he was delighted when the bemused top coordinator happily played along and got him talking about his pokemon. This served to get him relaxed and back to normal.

''Well, this being your first gym battle, let's be sure it's one to remember.'' Wattson patted Wally's shoulder. ''Remember to have fun here!''

The gym leader's happy-go-lucky mood was getting infectious and the boy couldn't help smiling back. ''Right.''

With both sides agreeing, it was decided to be a two pokemon battle and Watt stepped up to be the referee. At his call, Wally sent out Electrike while Wattson chose a Voltorb for the first round.

''All right, let's kick things off with Magnet Rise!''

Everyone watched with some surprise as Voltorb gathered power and in seconds, both it and Electrike were sent up in the air. Wattson then had his pokemon strike out with Swift, successfully nailing the mark.

''You can use Magnet Rise like that?'' A surprised Max wondered.

''There's all sorts of ways to work your pokemon's strengths.'' Brock pointed out. ''It just depends on the trainer.''

Wattson knew that Magnet Rise wasn't going to last for long and seeing Electrike almost land proved it. He proceeded to keep up the offense ''Rollout!''

''Quick Attack!'' Wally called. Electrike dashed with blinding speed and completely went out of Voltorb's way, circling around and ramming it from behind.

Wattson merely nodded to Voltorb and things became clear as Voltorb quickly turned and struck back just after Electrike landed. Voltorb moved again, gaining more speed for its next attack.

Wally tried to think of what to do, almost faltering when Electrike was hit again. He knew they had to stop this but how?

In a few moments, a thought occured to him once he took in both pokemons' position. Well, it was the best thing he had at the moment so...

''What's Wally doing? They have to move!'' May frowned at their friend's silence.

''I don't know if Electrike's got anything that can help with this situation...'' Max started.

''All right, jump!'' Wally instructed, surprising them. Just then, Electrike jumped up high as Voltorb became very close, resulting in the pokemon being stuck in the wall.

Max's eyes widened ''I get it, Wally must've been waiting for the right time!''

''Nice one!'' Ash grinned while Pikachu and Lisia cheered.

''Now use Fire Fang, Electrike!''

Electrike's next attack landed Voltorb even deeper in its current predicament. Max's eyes widened ''Electrike knows Fire Fang now? Cool!''

''Well they have been training hard, this must be something recent.'' Brock remark.

''Come on, Voltorb, we've gotta move. Use Spark!'' Wattson urged.

After a bit of a struggle, the power Voltorb gathered helped it move out and in seconds, it was rolling towards Electrike, who dodged at his trainer's command. Both pokemon soon clashed once again with a Rollout and Quick Attack. Wattson had Voltorb use Thunderbolt but once again Wally made sure to get Electrike moving.

''Use Leer!''

Electike directed a fierce gaze at Voltorb, which made the pokemon stop out of surprise and fear. Wally capitalized on the chance ''Fire Fang!''

Stunned as it were, Voltorb couldn't do a thing as Electrike struck once more and with a burst of fire, it was sent crashing down.

It didn't Watt long to conclude the correct result ''Voltorb is unable to battle, Electrike wins! This round goes to the challenger, Wally!''

''Yes!'' May and Max cheered.

The boy let out a sigh of relief before smiling ''Hey, good job out there, Electrike.'' Electrike grinned and gave a happy bark in return.

''Now that's the way!'' Ash exclaimed while Brock smiled.

''Yeah, he's doing so well!'' Lisia beamed.

May nodded ''They're off to a pretty good start.''

''Totally, this is one exciting battle!'' Max remarked.

''I couldn't agree more.'' Wattson smiled, getting a pokeball ready. ''Nice job here, Wally. But this is far from over, you're gonna have to work harder for the win.''

''I know, that's just what we're going for.''

''Heh, that's the spirit. Go, Manectric!''

This once again surprised most of those present, though for different reasons. Watt blinked ''Wait, you're using Manectric now? He's practically never battled since evolving.''

''All the more reason, Watt! No time like the present, eh?'' Wattson returned.

Ash, Max, May and Brock remembered the Electrike Wattson had befriended during their first visit to Mauville. Watt's reaction confirmed that this was the same Electrike. They'd already known the pokemon had chosen to join the man at the time but they certainly weren't expecting to see that it evolved now.

May held up her pokedex to scan the new arrival _''Manectric, the discharge pokemon. The evolved form of Electrike. Manectric discharges strong electricity from its mane. The mane is used for collecting electricity in the atmosphere. This pokemon creates thunderclouds above its head.''_

''It looks tough...''

Wally observed the pokemon curiously. So that was what Electrike would become...Manectric certainly seemed like a formidable opponent, first actual battle or not. Well, he wasn't about to let his guard down now.

''Electrike, use Leer!''

Unlike Voltorb, Manectric stiffened a little out of surprise at the heated look coming his way but other than, nothing happened. Wattson smiled ''Shock Wave!''

Manectric let out a battle cry, gathering numerous bolts of blue lightning before condensing them in a wave at Electrike.

Wally's response confused everyone ''Electrike, Fire Fang!''

Electrike allowed himself a smirk, knowing just what his trainer had in mind. He charged right into the attack, completely unfazed as he even felt the electricity flow over him, absorbing it and using the time to strike Manectric hard. If anyone had looked closer, they would have seen how the Fire Fang appeared to be electrified for a moment.

Ash stared ''Whoa, what?''

''What just happened?'' May blinked twice.

The two started as Wattson began to laugh ''We've been had! That little critter's ability is Lightning Rod, huh?''

Wally half-smiled ''I figured you'd notice...''

''Now it makes sense,'' Brock mused. ''So that's why he's been careful with that electric attack before, Wally's been hiding that ability.''

''And he used it in just the right time to pull off that attack, great timing.'' Lisia remarked with a smile.

''I'll say, keep it up you guys!'' May called.

Wattson instructed his pokemon to use Quick Attack next and Wally wound up having to do the same to try and evade Manectric, but the evolved electric type proved to be too fast and its speed threw Electrike to the ground. As Electrike tried to get up, Wattson pressed their advantage on.

''Use Bite!''

''Thunder Fang!'' Wally called in a hurry but Electrike was hit just then. The pokemon still managed to press on and hit Manectric back, with the pokemon managing to push itself away in a moment. Both trainers called for a Quick Attack at almost the same time but Manectric came out on top again.

''Oh man, this is bad.'' Max bit his lip.

''Manectric really is strong, I wonder how he'll handle this...'' Ash trailed off, looking at Wally.

That had really been some luck, Wally grimaced as he watched Electrike try to stand shakily. He hadn't intended to have Electrike match up to his evolved form in terms of things like speed because he could see that Manectric was superior. Wally still thought they could win though, he didn't want to give up now. Especially not after all the effort his pokemon gave during their training sessions, he felt he owed it to them to see this to the end.

There was one thing he had to take care of first.

''...Wattson, I'd like to switch pokemon now.'' Wally stated.

The gym leader looked as surprised as the others for a moment before he smiled ''Go right ahead, kiddo.''

Wally knew how stubborn Electrike could be, the pokemon had still been trying to go on when he couldn't even stand. That was just why he made the call, while he believed in Electrike's strength, he didn't want his pokemon to get hurt even worse because of it. He smiled as he picked Electrike up, meeting the electric type's troubled gaze ''It's okay, you did great, really. Don't try to deal with everything on your own, though. We're a team, remember? Just leave it to me and Ralts now.''

Electrike barked back weakly, realizing the boy had caught on to how far he'd been forcing himself to go on. The little electric type just hadn't wanted to call it quits then but he knew the boy was doing this to stop him taking it too far. It was a mark of how much he cared and Electrike took the moment to appreciate having someone like Wally for a trainer again. He grinned as Wally offered a little more reassurance as he left him to watch from the stands before walking back.

Brock stroked Electrike's fur after using some super potion on the weary pokemon ''That was the right call.''

''Yeah, it was sweet. Wally really is a caring guy, huh?'' Lisia mused.

''Definitely, this just proves that he's good friends with his pokemon.'' Ash smiled as they all watched Wally send out his following choice. ''I think they'll be okay, Ralts is still fresh and more than ready to go.''

Wattson had to admit, he was impressed too. He'd seen plenty of trainers work their pokemon too hard and then the pokemon paid the price later. It was a pleasant surprise to see how perceptive Wally was of his pokemon's feelings. Knowing Ash and his friends, Wattson figured his new challenger fit right in with them like a glove.

''You ready?''

Ralts nodded at his trainer and turned to face Manectric and Wattson. Wally went on ''All right, use Magical Leaf!''

Since Wattson knew they were better off dealing with the attack than attempting to evade it, he countered ''Shock Wave!'' As he expected, the electric attack destroyed the flurry of glowing leaves. ''Now use Bite!''

''Stop Manectric cold with Confusion!''

Ralts concentrated and trapped Manectric with in a glowing blue blast of psychic power, then throwing the discharge pokemon down at Wally's call.

''Atta' boy.'' Wattson said when Manectric got up in moments.

''Ralts, Future Sight!'' Wally called. Ralts' eyes glowed as he raised his arms but then nothing happened.

May raised an eye ''Hold on, what gives? And since when does Ralts know a move like that anyway?''

''It must be a recent one like Electrike's Fire Fang. And don't worry, this is supposed to happen. Future Sight takes a short while to happen.'' Brock informed.

Wattson, who was aware of this, decided to keep up the offense ''Use Charge!'' Manectric's mane began to glow as the pokemon gathered electricity, manifesting around him in an aura before fading away.

''Magical Leaf!''

Timing it just as the electricity disappeared, Ralts was able to nail Manectric with a strong hit. But the pokemon managed to stand his ground regardless.

''All right Manectric, use Shock Wave!'' Wattson instructed

The effects of the charge were immediately evident as this Shock Wave was plenty more powerful than the previous attempts. Wally tried to have Ralts keep it away with Confusion but the feeling pokemon was still struck by some divergent blasts here and there. This let Manectric get in to strike with a succesful Quick Attack next.

The match was certainly heated and excited for everyone but it was becoming evident that both pokemon were getting tired as it went on.

''Manectric...'' Wattson never got to finish because of what happened next.

All of a sudden, a big colorful blast of energy hit the discharge pokemon hard, causing him to hit the ground.

''That's the Future Sight!'' Max exclaimed, grinning.

Like Wattson, Wally knew they couldn't let up now ''Magical Leaf!''

By the time the leaves closed in, Manectric was able to get up and so he proceeded to try dodging the attack. Wattson got an idea and instructed him to jump up and use Shock Wave to get rid of the leaves. But Wally responded by having Ralts use Confusion to make the Magical Leaf faster and it soon hit the mark, leaving Manectric to fall.

Watt took a moment to observe the pokemon before making the call ''Manectric is unable to battle, Ralts wins. This match goes to Wally!''

''All right!''

''Awesome, they won!''

''Yay, way to go!''

It was hearing his friends' cheers that made the fact actually sink in for Wally, who was momentarily stunned. Before the boy quite knew it, Ralts jumped to give him a hug. He began to smile as he returned the gesture, smiling at him and Electrike, who had come to join them. ''We did it.'' The duo beamed in return.

Wattson laughed, the three turning to face him then ''That was one heck of a match, you three sure did great.''

''That's for sure, awesome job!'' Ash said, grinning.

''You three were brilliant!'' Lisia chirped.

''Way to go!'' May added.

Wally smiled back ''Thanks a lot...''

''You're off to a great start, Wally.'' Watt remarked, walking over with a tray that held a small yellow and black badge.

''That's for sure.'' His boss agreed, smiling as he took the badge. ''You're a good trainer and this just proves it. It pleases me to see young trainers step up and take charge. Here you go, kiddo, this victory earns you my gym's Dynamo Badge!''

Wally took a moment to thank him before picking up the badge, giving his pokemon a closer look then and they smiled back. As Watt said, they were off to a great start. But as far as Wally was concerned, this was also the first milestone in his journey and the mark of their efforts so far paying off.

To think that there was a time months ago when he never thought something like this would happen...

Well, he'd never been more glad to be wrong now. Wally's smile widened as he held the Dyanmo Badge, silently vowing to work hard to learn and improve. He owed it to himself and the people and pokemon who were supporting him, that was why he wanted to do his absolute best to upheld that vow. Their current success only reaffirmed that determination.

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _Sorry, I really didn't want to have this chapter take so long but like I said before, I just couldn't decide how to get the battle down, nothing seemed right. I didn't think it would be this hard. Anyway, I hope it turned out all right._

 _To clarify, Wally's tried to find some info about the gym leaders to prepare himself better. Since he had a lot of time to learn about pokemon in the past, his approach to pokemon is more methodical than Ash' fic really started out as a shot in the dark so there's a lot of details I haven't quite sorted yet so I'm still trying. So for now it's back to the drawing board, till next time!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Advance shipper: Always great to hear from you. I'm not really sure about my plans for Lisia just yet, that's a work in progress, so it's a bit too early to deal with any stuff regarding romance surrounding her. I'm a big fan of Pokemon too, that's what made me want to write fanfiction about it in the first place. I'm not sure which episode you mean since it's been a while since I watched the battle frontier arc. I have a few ideas where that's concerned but I'm not nearly far enough in my plans to be sure. I do like the idea about May and Max coming to Kanto though, it seems fitting._

 _I did try to find a pairing for Brock and my mind kept going to Lucy, so I think that's who I'm going to choose. I don't remember seeing any sign of Suzie having feelings for Brock. I feel bad about his luck in romance at every turn and they really seemed to get along, I get the feeling they'd be great together. Especially with how the episode went. Oh and you're talking Makuhita by the way, but I like what you said about her pokemon's eyes reminding her of Brock's. I definitely to use Zinnia in the story but maybe not just yet, I'm still not sure how to use her character, what with the whole fake Team Magma or Aqua member thing too so it'll take some more time. Sorry, I'm being vague, I know but this story really started out as a shot in the dark and for a time I wasn't sure if I'd even keep it going. I'll try to look for that story though._

 _Doc oc 102: Thanks! Yeah, I think I remember Mirage island, mostly because it was in the games. That's still far off but I like what you mentioned. The only problem is that Mirage Island is in Hoenn and the rest of your idea is in Kanto. I actually wanted to try having Ash and May growing closer and getting to know each other more next chapter, given what I'm planning, it should work. I have practically no experience with writing romance so I'm thinking maybe we'll start things slowly, which is basically the plan for the next chapter. The forbidden forest was that place where they found Bulbasaur, right? And yeah, I remember parts of the Deoxys episode, I'll probably work it into the story but that's still down the line. Your idea sounds interesting. Thanks a bunch for your input._

 _Megalon 61: Wow, thanks! Well, I'm planning to use the Delta Episode, maybe before the Hoenn League. Everything else though depends on how I implement Zinna in the story, I'm still on the fence about that one. I do like the idea of her joining Ash and the others for a spell and getting to know them. While I'm going to be pairing Ash with May, Lisia and Zinnia are going to be involved provided I can work them fittingly in the story. I didn't know that fanfics with female rivals are that rare but I gotta say, having Zinnia be Ash's rival is a nice idea. I'm not exactly comfortable writing about stuff like three way relationships, that kinda thing just rubs me wrong. I appreciate your help though and I'm really glad you like the story, I'll do my best to make it great._

* * *

Having taken the path to Fallarbor town and May's next contest, the group was now passing a path near a wasteland...

''So what did your family say about the gym battle, Wally?'' May wanted to know.

''Ah, they were thrilled...'' Wally privately thought what happened last night was way too much. ''...Uncle Mike kept saying how he knew I'd make for a good trainer, he said something about a bet he never got to really start with Dad. Dad just never wanted any part of it. Leon was totally cheering when I got to explain everything and Wanda and Aunt Rose were really happy. You'd have to see it to understand but it all seemed over the top...''

''Don't say it like that, they're right to be that excited. Look at what's happened so far.''

''Yeah, it just proves how good you're doing, buddy.'' Ash agreed, draping an arm around the boy's shoulders. ''People didn't think you could even start a journey but look at you now!''

Wally smiled as Pikachu chirped in agreement ''I guess...when you put it like that...''

An amused Max was about to comment but was distracted when he saw a boy around Brock's height, a trainer judging by the pokeballs on his belt, looking around frantically. ''Hey, what's going on?''

The boy started ''Oh! Have you seen a shady looking guy with a huge bag over his shoulder and glasses?'' He frowned as they replied negatively. ''Great...that creep ambused me and got to take one of my pokeballs, I know he's around these parts somewhere but I just can't find him. Officer Jenny from the nearby town offered help too but it's just no good.''

Ash frowned ''We'll help then, what else can you tell us about this guy?''

* * *

After getting a few more details, Ash and May had Taillow and Beautifly search the skies while they kept going on foot. This soon lead them to strange grounds which were littered with holes almost everywhere.

''What's up with this place?'' Max wondered.

''I don't think we can get though here...I don't see how the thief could have either, it's like if you take one step, you'd fall bad because of those holes.'' May remarked.

Ash didn't think it was that bad but he had to admit the girl was on right on one part ''Yeah, it doesn't look like this guy was around here...''

''Max, is there another route nearby?'' Wally inquired.

''Actually...''

As the young boy checked with the PokeNav, a curious Ash wondered what actually made those holes so he decided to throw a rock at one. Just then, a pokemon came out of hole and ate it up.

May's eyes widened ''What was that?'' She held up her pokedex and it buzzed.

 _''Trapinch, the Ant Pit pokemon, Trapinch is a patient hunter. It digs an inescapable pit in a desert and waits for its prey to come tumbling down. This Pokemon can go a whole week without access to water.''_

''I guess that explains the holes...'' She trailed off.

Nodding, Brock looked over Max's head wanting to get back to the matter at hand ''Hey, there is actually another close route. I think Beautifly was flying in that direction too...''

It was then that they spotted Taillow flying over. Ash then called ''Did you guys find anything?''

The flying type nodded and gestured in the area before them. Max then spoke up ''Guys, it looks like both paths actually combine just ahead. So the thief has got to be around here, it doesn't look like there are many places to hide.''

''Perfect, then let's keep going.''

Just as they made to leave, Pikachu spotted a car rushing through and stopping near them. A woman with blue hair and matching eyes was driving it ''You shouldn't be here, this place is dangerous.''

''We were just...'' May started.

She didn't get far as Brock was immediately entranced by the woman's beauty ''Hello, my lovely! I'm so grateful that you took time to warn us!''

''Uh, sure, it's no problem,'' she said awkwardly.

''As kind as you are beautiful! I...'' Brock then yelped as Max grabbed his ear and pulled his ear.

''Enough, lover boy, we don't have time for this.''

The others merely sighed while the woman looked confused. Wally and Ash then brought her up to speed.

She nodded in understanding ''I see, so you're here for the same reason I am. I just met with Officer Jenny, we're sure the thief has to be close, hop on. I could do with a little help to keep out. Let's see if we can box him in.''

* * *

After introductions, they learned that the woman's name was Elisa. She explains that this route was a Trapinch cavern and it was almost impossible to get here safely thanks to all the holes, which was why she thought this way could be usable to sneak up on the thief.

As it quickly turned out, her idea of having more look outs proved to be a boon as May spotted something rushing their way, mostly surrounded by dust. It was a Donphan.

''Uh, guys? You think that's actually the pokemon?'' May asked the group at large.

''Maybe? It might have gotten away somehow...'' Max tilted his head, seeming just as puzzled. The two almost jumped as a scream resounded then, bringing their attention to Donphan as it changed course and they saw it was actually chasing a man with brown hair, who had been obscured by all the dust cloud. ''...oh, man...''

Elisa sighed and tossed out a pokeball, revealing a Meganium. At her call, the pokemon jumped to the two new arrivals and released a purple aroma that calmed Donphan right down.

''Wow, it worked!''

''That's cool...'' Impressed, May aimed her dex at Meganium.

 _''Meganium, the Herb Pokemon. The fragrance of its flower soothes and calms emotions. In battle, this Pokemon gives off more of its becalming scsent to blunt the foe's fighting spirit.''_

Elisa looked at the man with a frown ''Just what was that supposed to be?''

He laughed sheepishly ''W-well...''

Noting their familiarity, Brock was about to ask how they knew each other but then Officer Jenny arrived with Donphan's trainer, who happily went to his pokemon, which was just as pleased to see him. While Max stops Brock from fawning over the police woman, Officer Jenny thanks the group as she admits that their idea worked and the thief felt trapped which made it easier for her to capture him. Around the brown haired man had unwittingly stumbled across the thief and in the chaos that caused, Donphan's pokeball was broken. This left the pokemon to come out in a panic and lead to the chase.

With all said and done, the two offer thanks again before leaving. Elisa looked at the brown haired man ''Hal, you are the biggest trouble magnet I have ever seen.''

''Oh, come on, it wasn't my fault!''

''That's what you say every time.''

''Sounds like you guys go way back.'' Ash remarked.

''Yeah...we've been since we were kids.'' Hal admitted, then asking for their names. He nodded once they finished ''Well, like you heard, I'm Hal. I'm researching Trapinch, I was just looking for one when all this chaos went down.''

''You do know there's plenty around here, right?'' Max pointed out, thinking of the number of Trapinch they had seen earlier.

Hal nodded ''But it's a specific one...oh!'' He pointed left, to a Trapinch which walking nearby slowly, a transmitter on its back.

''What's with the transmitter?'' Brock asked.

''Actually, it's a bit of a long story...'' Hal smiled as he began to think back. ''...after hearing about this place, I came for a closer look. My parents warned me to stay away but I couldn't resist. I wound up falling into the labyrinth of caves made by the Trapinch. But when I woke up, I found myself near this big underground lake. There were a whole bunch of Trapinch on the other side and then they all started to evolve into Vibrava! The next thing I know, I'm back near the place where I fell.''

''That sounds amazing.'' Wally smiled.

''Doesn't it? I've been looking to find the place ever since.''

''That's a cool story, so the Vibrava helped you out.'' Ash concluded.

Hal nodded ''I think so too. I know it was all coincidence but I'm not going to stop until I find the place again.''

Elisa sighed ''I still think you're putting too much faith in that story, it sounds like a dream.''

''I'll show you it isn't, just wait.'' He returned.

''Um, Hal? Does this mean Trapinch is going there now?'' Wally pointed to the pokemon with the transmitter, which was approaching one of the holes.

Hal perked up ''Yeah! It's evolution season now, Trapinch must be making its way to the lake!''

But just as he made to come closer to the pokemon, the earth began to shake and a robot in the shape of a Diglett came out of the ground. The robot's claws extended and picked Pikachu up.

''Pikachu!''

Brock scowled when he spotted the pink R on the robot as he knew exactly what that meant ''Not again...''

Laughter resounded before the robot revealed a window which revealed Team Rocket in the robot's cockpit.

''Look at our catch, boys.'' Jessie smirked.

''Yeah, I knew we could do it.'' Meowth grinned. ''Now to really commemorate this...''

Max groaned as they took the poses of their motto ''Here we go again, like we haven't had enough of thieves already. We don't your lousy motto on top of it all today!''

''Lousy?! You little brat!'' Jessie snarled.

''What does it matter, Jess? We're winning.''

She calmed down a little at James' point ''I guess so, well then...'' She grinned at Pikachu's attempt to electrify them failed. ''...our Diglett's immune. Too bad, twerps!''

''We'll do something about that then. Ralts!'' Wally threw a pokeball up, revealing his first pokemon, who proceeded to destroy the claws with Magical Leaf on command, thus breaking Pikachu free.

This of course, made them mad. ''Don't think you're clever, we're not done yet!'' James snapped.

''Beg to differ. Pikachu, Iron Tail!'' Ash ordered.

''Like we'll just stay right...'' Meowth froze once he realized that they actually couldn't move the robot. Little did they know, it was trapped courtesy of Ralts' psychic powers. This ensured that Pikachu nailed a clean hit that made their robot crash.

May grinned ''Way to make them eat their words!''

''Team Rocket's just full of big talk anyway.'' Max added.

All this served to increase Jessie's ire all the more and made her send the rest of the robots claws out but Brock sent Lombre to blast the machine back with Water Gun. Just when they tried to get moving again, they stumbled near some holes, which lead to the robot falling in. Unfortunately, the robot's size causes a chain reaction that weakens the area where the group was that and makes them fall down too...

* * *

May groaned as she sat up ''Team Rocket are the worst...''

''You said it.'' Ash agreed while Pikachu nodded next to them.

The three were distracted when Ralts hurried past them to Wally, sounding worried. It didn't take long to see why as the boy was panting heavily nearby, but his breaths were short and labored.

Knowing just what this meant, May hurried to find their friend's inhaler. She found that Ralts was already ahead of her there as he had the item in hand so they gave it to Wally, who proceeded to use it then.

Wally took a couple of slow breaths as they eyed him in concern while the others walked over. ''You all right?'' Ash inquired.

He nodded ''Thanks...I didn't really think...''

''Don't sweat it, Wally. This definitely isn't your fault.'' Max assured. They remembered what Rose mentioned about his sickness, how he it left him struggling to breathe at times and it left him wornout a lot. But while the treatment meant he was plenty better off, the boy knew it was all the sand and dust from their fall that triggered this episode.

Wally smiled as Ralts and Pikachu tried to rub his back comfortingly ''It's all right, you guys. Thanks...ah, sorry about this.''

''Dont be. Max is right.'' Elisa returned. While she didn't know the situation, she could see that this was hard on the boy. ''Are you all right to keep going?''

Wally nodded ''Yeah...but where do we actually go from here?''

''He has a point, you made this place seem like a maze. Do you have any plan?'' Brock inquired.

The woman sighed ''Well, it's a long shot but Hal seems to think following that Trapinch should do the trick.''

''Well, I figure no one else would know these tunnels best.'' The man offered. ''Sounds like our best shot, what do you guys say?''

* * *

They agreed that Hal's idea was likely their best shot at the moment and so let him take the lead. The researcher kept a careful eye on his tracker and the Trapinch who was just ahead of them as they traversed the tunnels, many of which seemed interconnected to each other.

''This place sure is big...'' May looked around. ''...how many Trapinch does it take to make something like it?''

''Hmm...I've heard about its size but I never imagined it was like this.'' Elisa mused.

Things remained relatively calm as they kept following Trapinch, with the pokemon slowly but surely advancing...

Then suddenly, Trapinch stopped and dug up a whole in the wall.

Hal blinked ''? What...?''

But then they heard a loud rumble coming and before they knew it, a couple of Rhyhorn were rushing towards them. Wally frowned, thinking fast ''Ralts, can you get us up to that high tunnel on the left?''

The pokemon let out an affirmative cry before proceeding to do just that, lifting the whole group to safety with Confusion.

Hal sighed in relief with the others ''Thanks, little guy. What was that about?''

The answer came quickly in the form of a flood that rushed through the tunnel, it would have swept everyone away had they not moved in time. Max blanched ''That...was way too close...''

Brock looked around ''Should we keep going through this tunnel then?''

''How about we try following that water?'' Hal suggested. ''I don't think that way leads to another tunnel. We can pull that off easily if we get there.'' He pointed to a path of opposite of the tunnel but they could barely see an exit in the distance...

* * *

While the path led to an exit, it was one they did not expect. It was the lake!

The water had actually flowed along until reaching the lake Hal described earlier. With the gleaming water and sunlight, along with the flora and fauna surrounding the lake, this made for quite a lovely sight.

''Wow!''

''There it is...'' Hal grinned. ''...just like I remember.''

''This is...incredible...'' Elisa looked at her old friend. ''...I'm sorry I didn't believe you.''

''Ah, it's all right. I just wanted to show you this place.'' His grin widened. ''And look...'' He pointed to the Trapinch gathering on the other side. ''...and like in the story...''

His suspicion was proven true as the pokemon began to glow and their bodies grew bigger and wider. In seconds, all the Trapinch had evolved into Vibrava.

''Whoa, this is great!'' Ash aimed his dex at the new pokemon...

 _''Vibrava, the vibration pokemon, Vibrava's wings hve not yet completed the process of growing. They are more useful for generating ultrasonic waves by vibrating.''_

''It really is amazing.'' May stated and Brock nodded.

As the Vibrava began to fly, a net came over them and the next thing anyone knew, Team Rocket was back.

''Them again?!'' Hal frowned.

''If you think we're going to leave without the rare pokemon we deserve, think again!'' Jessie leered.

''We practically got dozens, this will be brilliant!'' James smiled.

Meowth puffed out his chest as he spoke ''It's my plan, did you expect anything else?''

''Don't start celebrating yet!'' Ash called, ordering another Iron Tail from Pikachu, only to be dismayed when Team Rocket was able to move their robot just in time.

Elisa sent out Meganium ''Aim Razor Leaf at that net!''

''You too, Ralts, we've got to free them.'' Wally added.

Nodding, both pokemon attacked, their flurry of leaves not only destroying the net but also damaging the robot.

''Argh! Stop getting in the way!'' Jessie almost screamed, sending out a pokeball. ''Dustox, go!''

''You really are a pain, come on, Cacnea!'' James wound up regretting this choice as he soon got his own pain with the affectionate grass type hugging him again. He managed to push it off ''Use Pin Missile!''

''Poison Sting!''

All the Vibrava flew up to face the thieves, collectively firing a multitude of Supersonic attacks. This not only stopped Dustox and Cacnea but also blasted them back at the Diglett robot.

''Pikachu, Thunder!''

''Meganium, use Solarbeam!''

The attacks hit home, striking hard and sending Team Rocket blasting off again.

''Good riddance.'' Max stated.

''I'll say, but what do we do now?'' Elisa wondered. Both turned as the Vibrava flew over to them...

* * *

With the Vibrava's help, everyone was safely brought back up to the route near the labyrinth. The group bid farewell to the vibration pokemon as they all flew away.

''I'm glad you got to find the lake again, Hal.'' Brock smiled.

''Yeah, it must feel great, huh?''

Hal returned Max's grin with one of his own ''You have no idea.''

''So...what are you going to do now?'' Elisa asked. ''You did really work to figure this out, are you going to spread the word about your discovery?''

''Nope, not a chance.'' He admitted at once, to their surprise. ''I might have wanted to at some point but really, the Trapinch and the other pokemon down there should be able to live in peace.''

Ash smiled ''I think that's for the best.''

''That's for sure,'' Elisa agreed and the others nodded.

''So...what did you think, Elisa?'' Hal wanted to know. ''I wanted to pull this off for you.''

''Oh...'' She blushed as she averted her gaze for a moment, feeling touched. ''...I like it. It's so nice of you. Even how you're handling this now...it's great.''

Hal laughed ''I'm glad you like it.''

Something about the way the two looked at each other made the group wonder...

''You think...'' Max started.

''...Yeah, they like each other...'' Brock managed, looking down as he felt his heart get trampled on. Once again, he he thought he found a girl who he could get together with but she was interested in another man. He had nothing against Hal, really, but when was it going to be his turn?!

Wally patted his shoulder ''Hey, ah, you can just be happy for them, right? Remember what we said before? It'll be okay.''

The breeder almost felt better, not missing Ralts patting his knee comfortingly ''Thanks, you guys.''

May almost squealed ''This is sweet.''

Max rolled his eyes as he noticed how Ash appeared a little confused ''Oh, brother...''

May merely smiled, having guessed he would be ''So what do you think of Hal's work, Ash?''

''Sounds cool, everything really worked out.''

The brunette hummed ''Well, I bet you'd go pretty far for someone you care about too.''

''Well, it's only right.'' The Kanto trainer returned, not thinking much of it.

May began to grin ''I guess you're cool too, Ash.''

The boy gave her a look ''And what do you mean by that?''

May laughed ''Don't get so worked up, I just call it as I see it.''

* * *

 _Now, let's stop here._

 _Well, I hope this was good. I had trouble deciding what I wanted to do with this chapter but here we are. Funnily enough, I've got a solid idea for the next one..Since I'm figuring out the issue about what pokemon to get for Ash and the others, next chapter will be the start. I just really want to avoid giving them too much pokemon for me to work with, I'm really careful about this. But this pokemon should fit in nicely with the story._

 _In case I got anyone confused in the chapter, I read a theory about how Wally's sickness could be asthma. From what I heard, while treatment helps its never really cured, so I'm going with that. Cutting Team Rocket's motto off was kinda satisfying, writing it again was beginning to bug me..._

 _That's all I can think of. Reviews will be much appreciated as they help me get more motivated and I like hearing opinions and ideas. Till next time!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Back again! Sorry, wasn't expecting to just on a hiatus but I really just couldn't get back to writing for a while, life was rough. But since things are getting better, I'm getting back in the swing of things._

 _Advance shipper: Oh, thanks a bunch! Always nice to hear from you. Well, let's see...you've got some interesting ideas as always and I vaguely remember the Pokelantis issue but it's way down the line so I didn't really touch it. What you've brought up is definitely something to consider though. I did try looking up Return of the King but I just couldn't read it-by that time I'd found so many stories that were dead or abandoned that I was just fed up._

 _Huh, I had no idea it was like that. What you said about Suzy makes a lot of sense now and I do remember some proof in the anime that trained pokemon share similar feelings and personality from their trainers. I don't remember much about Ash and May's Bulbasaur's interactions, except that Ash's sort of wound like a teacher to hers. Don't be sorry, I like to see commentary. Learning that people appreciate my work makes it all worthwhile._

 _Doc oc 102: Sorry I'm still not comfortable with the idea of writing the three or four way relationship. I did try to look up pairings of Ash, Zinnia and Lisia and it was surprising to see how scarce they were. My story is actually going to have elements from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire so it would include those two more. I like the idea of Zinnia being Ash's rival though...I think I could work with that. Thanks for the review._

 _Guest: That's actually a work in progress. I have a couple of ideas on what pokemon to get for Ash and the others, I'm just trying to work much I don't go overboard there. Yup, that pokemon you mentioned is a Ralts. When I tried to choose a pokemon for Max, my mind kept going to Ralts. I was thinking of working it into the story and maybe even having Wally's Ralts be something of a teacher\big brother figure to it._

* * *

After a terrible storm the night before, the group was making its way past a forest.

May exhaled and looked at Max ''Are we getting close to Fallarbor?''

''Hmm...I think so. We're at least a couple of days away.'' He returned, checking the Pokenav.

She groaned ''Can't we stop for a break somewhere?''

''It doesn't look like there's a town or anything nearby.'' Max informed.

''Well, we can just have lunch here.'' Ash offered, a suggestion they were glad to take up.

* * *

They let their pokemon out and set out to prepare lunch. Wally and Max went to find firewood for Brock, who got water for the stew he was preparing with Lombre's help. It wasn't long before they were all settled down and having a good meal.

Right around then, Pikachu, Mudkip and Ralts seemed to notice something nearby and headed into the bushes, leaving a curious Torchic to follow them.

Brock looked their way ''Hey, what's going on you guys?'' He raised an eye as Mudkip and Ralts waved at him and Wally before pointing at whatever they found so the two came over to see.

When they caught up, they found the four pokemon standing near an injured Swablu. The pokemon stiffened in fear at the sight of the humans and took a step back.

''That's a Swablu!'' Max said.

May couldn't help but admire it ''It's so cute!''

She made to approach the bird, which once again recoiled. Picking up on this, Brock spoke ''Hold on, May, Swablu's already scared. We should be careful...''

But the girl wasn't about to be deterred ''It'll be fine!'' She smiled at Swablu. ''Hi there...''

She didn't get far as Swablu proceed to use Sing. The boys got to cover their ears but May reacted to late, leaving her to fall asleep. Max sighed ''That's what she gets for being reckless...''

''Say, Ralts, you think you can talk to Swablu for us?'' Wally requested. ''It's obviously injured and we can't just leave it like that.''

Nodding, the feeling pokemon approached the little bird and patted its head before they began to talk. After a few moments, Swablu eyed the group timidly and Pikachu joined the talk, both offering reassurances about their friends.

Torchic went to May and pecked its trainer to wake her up, leaving her to jump with a start. ''What just-?! Oh...'' She blinked as she suddenly remembered what happened.

The brunette smiled at the sight of Swablu and made to speak only for Ash to interject ''Hold on a sec, May...'' He nodded at Pikachu and Ralts who were still talking to Swablu. Their efforts seemed to be paying off as the cotton bird looked more relaxed.

''Sorry, guess I startled you, huh?'' May took out a Super Potion and applied it to the pokemon. ''See? We're all friends here.''

''Yeah, would you come with us? It's probably best not to stay there.'' Brock added.

After a moment of thought, Swablu nodded.

* * *

''Hey, I made Swablu all better!''

May's declaration made everyone look over at her and Swablu curiously. The girl missed Pikachu and the others' shock and she smiled at her work.

Max's jaw dropped while the rest sweatdropped ''How is that any better?! It's like you're preparing Swablu for a tomb!''

Sadly, that wasn't far from the truth. They could hardly see anything of the cotton bird pokemon with all the bandages May had wrapped then.

The brunette frowned ''What're you talking about? We can't take chances with an injured pokemon.''

Ash sighed ''That's true but there's such a thing as overdoing it.'' Evidently, Ralts agreed for the feeling pokemon wasted no time in using its powers to remove the bandages. Ash picked them up and carefully re-addressed Swablu's injuries. ''All of that must have made Swablu really uncomfortable, it probably does more harm than good.''

''R-right...'' May returned, seeing how the cotton bird appeared relieved by this change. It approached the other pokemon, who welcomed it happily.

Brock smiled ''Nice work, Ash.''

''Eh, it's no big deal.'' The Kanto trainer shrugged. ''I've seen you take care of pokemon more than enough to figure this kind of thing out.''

The two teens started at the sound of the bushes rustling and looked over to the source in time to see a man with a Nuzleaf walking out...

* * *

It turned out that the man's name was Morita and he worked as a ranger of the forest. He had just found them and assumed them something was wrong but he knew it couldn't be so as he saw them taking care of Swablu. Thus, he offered to let the group stay at his place.

While Brock starts making medicine for Swablu, Wally, Ralts and Mudkip go on to pick up berries they had seen near Morita's cabin for the pokemon.

May watched as Swablu drank the medicine ''That's impressive, Brock.''

''Yeah, you really are a good pokemon breeder.'' Max added.

''Oh, it's nothing, really.'' The older boy returned with a chuckle. Wally and the pokemon came back with the berries, which made Swablu perk up with interest as they spread their find over a table. Swablu happily began eating the Sitrus berries Wally offered it then.

''I have to say, you really do know a bunch about pokemon care, Wally. It's great.'' Brock remarked, recalling instances where the boy took such matters into his own hands, like tending to the pokemon after training or the time he took care of Nicholai's Zangoose.

''Ah, t-thanks, but I've got nothing on you. Nurse Joy taught me a lot back when I was in Petalburg City. She was so nice about it when I told her I wanted to learn about pokemon and it was really useful.'' The boy returned with a smile. She had really concentrated on making sure he learned what he could back when he told her about his idea to get a pokemon.

''Good, it's clear that you're applying those lessons well.''

Morita came back with a tray of drinks ''It's nice to see you're all getting along.''

''Does Swablu live around these parts?'' Brock inquired.

''Actually, no-around this time every year, a flock of Swablu and Altaria migrate through this area.'' He admitted. ''Part of my job is to make sure they would be safe as they are sometimes targeted by poachers. I think that little one must have been separated from its flock because of the storm.''

''Oh, no...'' May glanced at the pokemon, concern clear in her eyes. ''...and Swablu can't possibly fly and try to find them when it's barely recovering.''

''Then we'll just have to make sure it happens. We can take care of Swablu, no doubt.'' Ash offered.

The brunette smiled ''That's a great idea!''

Swablu stared at them all as everyone agreed to this plan, surprise clear in its expression. This group was far kinder than the pokemon had assumed. Swablu had a feeling that they were sincere and that things would be okay.

* * *

Later...

''Hey, May!'' Max poked his head in the room. ''You want come swim with us in the lake?''

''No, thanks. I'm just fine here.'' The girl returned, having been tending to Swablu just now.

Brock came along with the others ''You really care for Swablu, don't you?''

May smiled ''I love pokemon and I can't stand seeing them in pain.''

Max quirked a brow ''Really? You used to hate-...''

''Okay.'' Ash covered the boy's mouth. ''Let's leave that one alone, the past is past and she's doing really good here.'' He knew the boy was about to mention how May didn't care much for pokemon back when they first started traveling but there was no need to bring that up now. ''Anyway, I'll join her.''

May smiled at the boy ''That sounds nice.''

''All right then...'' Brock held up a bottle. ''...give some of this to Swablu in a little while.'' He looked at Max and Wally. ''Come on you guys, we can let them handle things here.''

''All right, we'll help out later then.'' Wally returned, Ash nodded and waved as they headed out.

''So did you mean that?''

He blinked and looked at May, who elaborated ''About me doing a good job.''

''Definitely, Swablu really warmed up to you in such a short time.'' The Kanto trainer remarked. ''Max may have been right but things are different. You're shaping out to be a great coordinator.'' He sat down. ''Did you ever think things would wind up like this on your journey?''

''No way.'' She replied immediately. Her smile widened as she added ''But I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's been great and I get to travel with amazing friends. This is so much better than my expectations-I've learned a whole bunch. I think a big part of the reason I feel this way is you.'' Ash gave her a surprised look. ''Your love and passion for pokemon are clear as day. I think it's admirable in a way. It really got me to look at them again and see the wonderful things I missed before.''

Ash rubbed the back of his neck ''Well, I don't know...feels like I've always liked pokemon though, so it's nothing really. I played with them a lot as a kid and I knew I wanted to meet many more and before I really knew it, my dream was to be a Pokemon Master.''

''Well, that kind of drive is pretty inspiring.'' May stated.

The teen half-smiled ''Hey, you've got your own big goal too, remember?''

''Absolutely.'' May smiled as she watched pat Swablu's head before giving it the medicine before she stroked the flying type's feathers. ''I'm glad to be here now-everyday makes me look forward to the one after it.''

''Same...'' Ash began to grin. ''...I'm glad you're here too.''

* * *

When Wally came back with Ralts and Pikachu to check up on the three, they found them all fast asleep. The new arrivals watched the peaceful scene for a moment. May leaned against Ash, who had an arm around her and Swablu was resting nearby.

Wally gestured to Ralts, who pointed to the blankets nearby. Nodding, Ralts proceeded to use its powers to cover them. ''Thanks...'' He patted the pokemon's head and went on quietly ''...come on, let's make sure they aren't disturbed.''

* * *

Ash woke up the next morning, surprised to find that they had slept there. Heading out, it didn't take him long to spot his friends nearby. Pikachu was sitting on Wally's lap while talking to Ralts nearby as the boy gave them food.

''Hi, you guys.'' Ash smiled as they greeted him back. ''Thanks for taking care of Pikachu, Wally.''

''No problem, Pikachu's been great company.'' The younger boy returned, earning a bright smile from the electric type.

Max walked over ''It looks like Ash had some great company of his own.''

''Well yeah, I guess it was...I mean time just flew by and I barely noticed...'' The boy admitted.

''Oh yeah?'' Max grinned. ''Looks like you and May are getting closer.''

''Well we are friends...'' Ash looked puzzled.

''Really?''

Ash frowned, still lost ''What?''

Brock joined them then ''Hey, you guys-are May and Swablu still sleeping?''

''Actually...'' Ash pointed back at Morita's home, where the girl in question was talking to Swablu. ''...your medicine works great, Brocko. Just look at it.''

The boy smiled back and they went to join the duo, each working to help Swablu like they agreed. They took breaks every now and then, with Ash taking the opportunity to get some training done with Wally. Later, the boys had their pokemon play with Swablu, under May's watchful gaze. The girl was certainly going all out when it came to watching out for their new friend.

Swablu watched Taillow and Beautifly soar in awe. Max smiled at the little pokemon ''You really are fitting in-you made a whole bunch of friends, right?'' Swablu nodded with a smile of its own.

''Wally?'' The boy blinked and looked at Ash. ''What's up? Looks like your mind's a million miles away.''

''Oh...it's...I think it's nothing.'' Wally returned. Something seemed a bit strange to him about Swablu's behavior, he hadn't been able to place it at first but after careful thought, he knew it was because Swablu reminded him of some of the pokemon he'd seen back in Petalburg's Pokemon Center. And that had his mind running...

When he thought back to the cotton bird pokemon's recent actions, an idea came to mind. He was still far from sure though...could it be...?

Mentally shaking himself, Wally decided to wait and see before making any judgement. There was always the chance that he was wrong, maybe he was overthinking this.

* * *

A short while later, Morita examined Swablu once more and declared that it was fully healthy, much to general relief.

''Thank you all for this.''

''Ah, it was only right. Besides, May deserves a whole lot more credit.'' Ash remarked and Brock nodded.

''What? No, come on...'' The girl looked sheepish for a moment. ''...it's a team effort.''

''Oh, look who's pretending to be modest.'' Max grinned, drawing a glare from her.

''You two certainly do get along very well.'' Morita noted.

''Yup, you look like good friends already. Swablu, you like May, right?'' Wally asked, the little bird chirped happily in confirmation.

May beamed ''Hehe, I like you too. So, are you ready to fly?'' Morita and Brock noticed how Swablu seemed to falter for a moment before slowly nodding.

It seemed as if Swablu was bracing itself to take off but then suddenly flinched, confusing them. Just then, Ash's stomach growled, leaving him sheepish.

''Hey...we were talking about getting lunch before, right?''

The subject of flying came up again once everyone was fed. Once more, Swablu appeared unnerved and seemed rather reluctant to try. They didn't know what to make of this.

''Hey, come on.'' Max prompted. ''It'll be okay-this'll help us find your flock.''

''Yeah, I bet your friends are looking forward to seeing you.'' May added, frowning as Swablu lowered its gaze.

Wally bit his lip, this was just what he'd been afraid of ''...Say, Swablu-correct me if I'm wrong. It's not that you won't fly...you just can't bring yourself to do it, right?''

''What?'' The two looked at him in surprise before turning to Swablu as it nodded.

''Wait, hold on-how'd you know?'' Ash inquired.

''It was a guess. I wasn't sure but...Swablu never seemed even close to trying to fly. At first I thought it was because of its injuries but even then, that didn't change.'' Wally explained, he'd taken to keeping a sharp eye on Swablu to find out for certain when its behavior had tipped him off. Unfortunately, his worst suspicions were true. They were impressed with the boy, he certainly was sharp to have put this together from only a few signs.

''But why? Swablu's healed...'' May started.

Brock crossed his arms ''The problem must have to do with Swablu's emotional state. Maybe something happened after it got separated from the flock.'' He smiled at the downcast pokemon. ''Hey, chin up, we did promise to take care of you.''

''Yeah, we can totally work this out. No worries.'' Ash assured with a thumbs up.

Swablu looked hopefully, chirping in curiosity as if asking 'Really?' as Pikachu nodded and patted its head.

''We'll help you.'' Wally offered and May nodded with a grin.

''Just count on us, Swablu.''

* * *

Max watched Taillow and Beautifly soar into the sky before looking at Swablu ''How about you try to imitate them for starters?''

Swablu proceeded to do just that and for a few moments, everything seemed okay. But then it cringed just as it was floating off the ground and began to fall as a result, leaving Ralts to quickly stop its descent by lowering it down with little trouble.

Max's eyes widened a bit as he noted how Swablu calmed down a little with the psychic powers keeping it safe ''Hey, can't we use this?''

''I don't think so...'' Morita considered the merits of having Ralts levitate Swablu. ''...The problem still remains. Swablu seems to have forgotten how to fly. We'll just have to start by the basics, first, let's try teaching Swablu how to take off.''

* * *

Ash and Pikachu wore a pair of fake wings on their backs and began running as they tried to remind Swablu what taking off was like. Unfortunately, this idea also wound up in failure as Swablu lost its nerve once it was up in the air again. May suggested having it fly on Beautifly's back but Swablu's reluctance made her suggest having Ralts use its psychic powers instead.

''It'll be okay, really.'' She said. ''They'll make sure you don't fall.'' Swablu looked like it was considering the plans.

''We can just do it gradually, Swablu. Let's work you through the process, I think that might help with your fear.'' Brock suggested, smiling when the pokemon finally agreed.

First, they tried out with Ralts but Swablu winced and closed its eyes, remembering the bad fall it had because of the storm once it was above a certain height.

''Be brave, Swablu!'' May called.

''It's okay, open your eyes! Our help won't work without you doing your part!'' Ash added. Both found themselves relieved when Swablu slowly but surely began to open its eyes and looked around, its expression lighting up at the view. It was incredible!

Once Ralts was done, the cotton bird pokemon gladly took up May's offer to have Beautifly help next, this time fully enjoying the view.

* * *

''So did you have fun?'' Ash asked Swablu, grinning when the pokemon chirped affirmatively. The two of them sat near Morita's home with Wally and their pokemon, Swablu was now much more comfortable with them all.

They had elected to get some rest after more work with the issue of Swablu's flight, in which they'd unfortunately made little progress. It was easy to see that it really upset Swablu, who felt guilty for not being able to do much despite its new friends' efforts. Even when Pikachu and the others reassured that it was fine, the little flying type felt awful.

''I saw that look on your face back when Beautifly carried you, you miss flying, right?'' Ash had unknowingly hit the nail on the head.

Swablu definitely missed the ability but at the same time had developed a crippling fear after that storm. Every time it tried, it wound up remembering the terrible fall it had then and fear would overcome it. Would that ever change?

''Don't sweat it, we're definitely going to keep working with you through this.'' Ash added. Pikachu nodded, grinning at the surprised flying type.

''It's only right. You're a friend Swablu, none of us walk out on our friends.'' Wally chipped in with Ralts and Electrike agreeing as well. Swablu chirped happily and beamed at the group gratefully.

When May joined them, she was pleased to see Swablu playing with Pikachu, Ralts and Electrike, more so when the pokemon gave a happy chirp when it saw her. ''Hey, looks like you're having fun.''

Swablu smiled and walked up to her, trilling as she patted its head. It really liked this group, they were all so kind and caring-while it had a bad first impression of May, the girl had more than made up for that in spades.

As Swablu went to rejoin the other pokemon, Max approached the rest with Brock, Taillow and Beautifly ''Hey, I've got an idea to help Swablu fly again!''

May blinked ''Really? What is it?'

The boy smiled and looked at the two flying types next to him ''Okay, can you show them what we tried?''

Nodding, Beautifly flew over Taillow and sprinkled its wings so that powder fell on Taillow, who then flew up. ''We'll just make sure Swablu believes this is basically magic for flight. Good, huh?''

''I don't know...'' His sister frowned a bit, looking at Ash and Wally. She was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one troubled by this development. The three unknowingly had the same thought, this wouldn't solve the actual problem.

''It doesn't hurt to try.'' Brock offered and Max grinned widely.

* * *

Max let out a cheer as they watched Swablu fly, his 'magic powder' trick was paying off as the little flying type went about with little trouble. It was already working great, the others were just worrying for no reason in his opinion.

They didn't have much time to debate on what to do from here on out as Morita returned, having found Swablu's flock.

This left them all to hurry along with the ranger, who drove through the forest. When they got to a clearing, something hit two of the car's tires, causing them to deflate.

Max groaned ''Oh great...now what do we do?''

''We can't waste time-hey, Swablu, think you can try searching from the sky?'' Ash suggested but Swablu flinched and shook it head quickly, staying in May's hold. The boy wasn't too surprised by the answer but it had been worth a shot.

''Let's get Beautifly to help, May.'' Max told his sister, who nodded.

She put Swablu down and reached for Beautifly's pokeball, but then a robotic hand shot out from seemingly nowhere and grabbed Swablu. May gasped and looked up, frowning at the sound of familiar laughter reaching her ears.

As expected, Team Rocket was flying in their balloon, with Meowth holding a remote control to the arm that trapped Swablu.

''Well, that was easier than I thought.'' Jessie said smugly while James thanked Cacnea, who had stopped their car with a Pin Missile earlier.

''Who are they?'' Morita wondered.

''Glad you asked!'' Meowth smirked.

Jessie cleared her throat and the three of them posed ''Prepare for trouble!''

''Beautifly, get Swablu out of there!''

The evil trio almost fell in surprise at the sudden cry, Jessie growled ''Excuse you, twerpette, we we working here!''

''Shut up!'' May retorted. ''I could care less about your stupid motto, you're not taking Swablu!''

Just as she said, Beautifly sped over towards the balloon, avoiding Cacnea trying to stop it before destroying the robotic arm with a Silver Wind. But just as the bug type tried to catch Swablu, it was forced back when an angry Jessie released Seviper to attack them, leaving Swablu to land in the balloon.

''Those twerps always just keep getting in the way...'' James grumbled.

''Well, they're not winning!'' Meowth declared, jumping to swipe at Beautifly, who easily dodged the attempt. ''First off, our target!''

Swablu stiffened when the three evil pokemon turned their eyes on it, closing its eyes when Meowth lunged while Jessie and James had their pokemon use Poison Sting and Pin Missile.

''Thunderbolt!''

''Confusion!''

Startled, Swablu looked over to find the attackers blasted by the combined efforts of Pikachu and Ralts, leaving the thieves cringing at the concentrated blast which only affected them. When Jessie tried to grab Swablu again, May called out. ''Use Sing!''

Swablu closed its eyes and began to sing softly. Slowly but surely, Team Rocket all began to nod off. The cotton bird pokemon could hear its friends making to help when it spotted a problem.

The currently half-asleep Cacnea had been about to launch a Pin Missile just before Swablu started and as it nodded off, its attack went out of control and hit the balloon instead, causing it to burst into flames.

''Get out of there!'' Brock called, however Swablu was too scared to move. May and Wally had their pokemon work together to reach the balloon. But as Beautifly flew over with Ralts on its back, it was forced to stop by the rising flames.

Swablu was frozen in fear as it recalled the storm and all that happened in the midst of that time. Thinking quickly, it looked at its nearby friends, who were trying to deal with the fire and wondered if Beautifly's powder could be used. If it had that, then surely...?

''Come on, Swablu, you have to fly!'' Morita stated.

''You can do it, try to be brave!'' Wally called.

''Don't go relying on that powder, it's all a sham. What happened back there? That was all you!'' May pointed out. ''I know you can do it again, you can beat this fear for good.''

''Yeah, you can make it work, come on!'' Ash encouraged with the pokemon calling out their own cheers for their new friend.

Amazed at this show of faith, Swablu found itself moving before it quite knew. In seconds, it had jumped and soared in the air and unlike before it was able to fly without a hitch.

''All right!''

Team Rocket was sent blasting off in the chaos and Swablu gave a happy chirp as May caught it. ''You did it, way to go!''

* * *

Continuing the search eventually lead the party to a cliff just as the sun was setting. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the flock anywhere. Morita frowned ''I was sure they'd come through here...maybe we've missed them after all.''

Max scowled ''It's all Team Rocket's fault.''

May looked at the saddened Swablu, feeling terrible for the poor thing. Deciding to try and cheer it up, she offered an idea. ''Hey Swablu, how would you like to come with me?'' The pokemon looked at her in surprise. ''I think you're a sweet pokemon and look how well you fit in with us. You wouldn't have to be alone then, we can be a family for you.''

Swablu began to smile, that certainly sounded good. Lousy first impression aside, it liked May and knew she was a truly caring person. The others were also so nice and friend and it had some really good times with them. It was sad that it couldn't catch the flock but maybe things could work out after all.

May perked up as the little flying type walked up to her and nodded in acceptance.

Pikachu's ears twitched as an odd sound reached its ears, making it look up to the sky and it called out to the others. There was the flock, they had found it!

They watched as Swablu recovered from the surprise at the sight and made to fly to them. The pokemon paused and looked at May, who gave a reassuring nod that saw it leave. Brock's brow furrowed, this was good news, for sure. It was just that...''May...''

''You sure this is all right?'' Max asked worriedly.

''Mmhm, it's fine.'' She returned, though as she tried to sound content, there was no denying the sadness in her tone.

''Well...'' They paused as Swablu flew back to them, followed by another Swablu with an Altaria behind them.

Swablu seemed to be telling the two other birds about them as it chirped repeatedly and gestured at the group with a bright expression. The two pokemon watched them in interest before nodding at last. The Altaria gave a soft chirp and patted Swablu's head, eliciting a smile in return.

Morita began to grin as he saw where this was going ''Looks like Swablu's taking you up on that offer, May.''

The girl's eyes widened ''Really?'' She caught Swablu as it flew and hugged her as if in answer. Her face lit up ''Oh, that's great!'' She looked at the two flying types in front of them. ''I'll take good care of Swablu.''

''Same goes for all of us.'' Ash offered and the others nodded. ''Swablu was practically one of the gang already, we always watch out for our own. It's in good hands.''

The duo nodded back in return with a smile, chirping their farewells to their friends before joining the flock again. As everyone saw them off, May looked at Swablu ''I didn't think you would...'' She grinned. ''...glad you're here. I'll make sure you don't regret this choice, that's a promise.''

* * *

 _And that's a wrap!_

 _What do you think? I hope this was good. Maybe I'm kinda nervous since it's been this long since I last got to writing..._

 _Well, ever since I got to thinking about non-canon pokemon for Ash and the others, I knew I couldn't follow the anime's route with Swablu. I have a few other pokemon in mind at the moment but they come later down the line. Anywho, till next time!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Advance Shipper: Good to be back, don't worry so much, I like your input and appreciate the help. I haven't actually seen all of the Sun and Moon anime but it's great that Ash finally won, right? I'm not doing Z-moves but I am definitely using Mega Evolution. In fact, this chapter is the way for me to introduce it in the story. I already have ways for Ash and Wally to get their Mega items but I'm still not decided on what to do about May and Brock. Zinnia and Lisia will also have their Mega items which will used later._

 _I am planning to use Latios and Latias in the story down the line but they won't be the ones from Pokemon Heroes. I mean doesn't that Latios actually die near the end of the movie? That sort of complicates it and I'm pretty sure Altomare's in Johto and they have to stay there to defend it. The idea's a bit far so I haven't out lined everything but I think I can fit them in nicely by then. Still, the Rainbow Hero seems interesting, I haven't found much fanfiction that has to do with the movie yet so I'm definitely hooked._

 _The thing with reviews getting repeated also happened to me and I'm still not sure how. You're right about the people who just like to put others down. I'm feeling good about this story and that's what really counts in the end._

 _Doc oc 102: Thanks a lot! I'll do my best._

* * *

While continuing on their way to Fallarbor Town and May's next contest, the group paused for a lunch break...

Brock took care of the cooking while the others went about to help him prepare. Eventually Max sat down to watch a replay of a pokemon battle that was recorded last night on his Pokenav. A curious May came to look in a bit to find that the two trainers were using a Vigoroth and a light purple and white pokemon she had never seen before.

''Hey, that one's beautiful and strong.'' She remarked, seeing it defeat the pokemon with a Magical Leaf attack.

''Pretty cool, right? It's a Gardevoir, one of Ralts' final evolutions.'' Max informed.

May blinked ''Really? Hold on...'' She took out her pokedex and looked it up, the device buzzed.

 _''Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokemon, Gardevoir has the ability to read the future. If it senses impending danger to its trainer, this Pokemon is said unleash its psychokinetic energy at full power..''_

''Heeh, so what's the deal with this battle?'' May wondered.

''Well, they said something about the trainers being a pair of rising stars. It looks like both of them trained under gym leaders...'' Max began to explain.

As they talked about the battle, the siblings were distracted when they saw both Ash and Wally getting ready to train their pokemon. May started ''You know, we better get some practice in too-I wanna show Swablu what contests are really like.''

''Good idea, sis! The sooner you work on it, the sooner you can get in a performance with her someday.'' Max remarked.

''That's the plan.'' May smiled.

* * *

A while later, while everyone was enjoying their lunch, a Medicham came out of the bushes. It cast them a glance before walking away, apparently looking around for something.

A curious Ash scanned the newcomer and his dex buzzed _''Medicham, the Mediate Pokemon and the evolved form of Meditite. Through the power of meditation, Medicham developed its sixth sense. This Pokemon hides its presence by merging itself with fields and mountains.''_

''Huh, what's it doing out here?''

''It doesn't seem to be a wild pokemon.'' Brock mused, just as curious.

''Medicham!'' A new voice called, bringing their attention to an elderly woman dressed up in a training gi with a red band around her head as she walked up to the pokemon. ''Any luck?'' She sighed when the pokemon shook its head. ''I was afraid of that...''

The woman stopped upon noticing the group ''Ah, hello there! Sorry if we disturbed you kids.''

''No, it's all right.'' Brock returned. ''We were just surprised, are you both looking for something, Ma'am?''

''Actually yes...'' The woman proceeded to introduce herself as Shelby and Medicham as her partner, with the others also doing the same. ''...I've heard some rumors about this area so I came to look for a Medichamite.''

Ash raised an eye ''What's a Medichamite?''

''Oh, you don't know? Well, I suppose the news about Mega Evolution really is just starting to spread recently...'' The woman mused.

''Wait, Mega Evolution? I think I read something about that...'' Max thought back. ''...it was a long time ago, so I don't remember much...I thought that stuff happened over in the Kalos Region though.''

''That's how it started, yes.'' Shelby returned as the two walked over. ''But it doesn't have to do with the place but the situation. The Medichamite would allow me to evolve my dear partner here further.''

Ash perked up ''That sounds great! Can you tell us how it works, Shelby?''

''Of course.''

* * *

Shelby cleared her throat ''See, this phenomena was discovered over in Kalos many years ago. Some pokemon like Medicham were only known to evolve once but they found that those same pokemon can push those limits further and evolve again.''

''Really? So you just use that stone to make it happen?'' May asked.

''Not quite.'' Shelby took something out of her pocket and held it up. It was a bronze ring with a colorful stone in the center ''This is a Mega Ring. Part of the requirement is for a trainer to wield this along with the appropriate Mega Stone to achieve the evolution.''

Brock raised an eye ''Wait, 'part of the requirement'?''

''Right. The other part is complete trust between a trainer and their pokemon. It'd never work without that powerful bond.'' The woman replied. ''Mega Evolution was spread mainly in Kalos but there are stones that are found in other regions being discovered now, that's how it started to spread.''

''It sounds interesting...do you happen to know which pokemon can achieve this?'' The breeder inquired.

''Well...'' Shelby paused to think. ''...I've heard some names. Let's see, to name a few. I think all final stages of our region's starter pokemon have a Mega Form, as well as the ones in Kanto.'' Since each of them had a starter pokemon (in Ash's case, four), Ash, May and Brock were surprised to learn of this news.

Shelby went on ''Lucario as well as Pidgeot...'' Her eyes fell on Ralts and Electrike. ''...ah, and those two little tykes' final forms as well.''

Wally looked surprised while both pokemon shared curious looks at this news. May tilted her head ''So Gardevoir can Mega-Evolve? I wonder what that's like...''

''There's actually another form for Ralts,'' Wally informed, recalling the info he'd looked up on his first pokemon months ago. ''It's called Gallade, I read that it happens if you use a Dawn Stone on a Kirlia.''

''Let's see...Gallade...'' Ash put the name in his dex and his eyes widened at the sight of the unfamiliar pokemon.

 _''Gallade, the Blade Pokemon. A master of couresty and swordsmanship, it fights using extending swords on its elbows.''_

''Whoa, it looks cool! Hey, Wally, you know which one you want Ralts to be?'' The Kanto trainer asked.

''I'm fine with either one.'' The boy returned. ''So I left the decision up to Ralts, last time I checked, he hadn't decided yet.''

''I think that's the best way to go about this, excellent choice.'' Shelby smiled at the boy before looking at Ralts. ''You two must be good friends, you're lucky to have such a kind trainer.''

Ralts beamed and nodded back. Wally looked embarrassed ''Ah...um, it's no big deal, really. I just thought it was right.''

''Well, you're extending the courtesy while others may not even consider it. So I'd say Shelby's right.'' Brock smiled, May and Max nodded while Ash grinned at the boy.

''I hear you, Brock. So what do you guys say we help look for this stone with Shelby?'' Ash asked the others.

''Sounds good to me.'' May returned.

''Me too.'' Wally added.

''Yeah, I totally want to see what Mega Evolution's like up close!'' Max chipped in while Brock nodded with a smile.

''Oh, dear, you'd do that for me? Thank you.'' Shelby smiled at the five.

* * *

With Shelby's description of the Mega Stone, they had a much better idea of what to look for and so seperated into two groups. Ash, May and Max head off into a nearby cave while Brock, Wally and Shelby opt to check the surroundings carefully.

Max couldn't help tensing a little when he saw a pair of Loudred sleeping in a tunnel to their left ''Guys, be careful.'' He whispered, pointing the two pokemon out.

Ash, Pikachu and May looked unnerved and he knew that they also remembered their last encounter with the species.

Suffice to say, it had not ended well.

While they carefully edge away from the potential risk, this left them forgetting to watch for other pokemon for the moment. This lead to May inadvertantly stepping on a strange rock, which turned out to be a Geodude which had apparently been resting. The angered pokemon let out a growl, making her cry out in surprise.

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!'' She said quickly.

But this clearly wasn't enough for the pokemon, who proceeded to use Hidden Power, forcing the four to get out of the way. The attack hit the wall nearby, this woke up a few Zubats hanging there. The chaos continued as the panicking pokemon tried to find their way about, accidentally waking up a sleeping Onix in the process. The angered rock snake slithers on quickly to get in the group's way, leaving them to recoil and step back.

''Looks like we have to do this, All right, Pikachu...'' Ash didn't get the chance to even start battling when the Onix roared and along with Geodude, both attacked the group then, leaving them to run. However, the angry duo chased them and kept up the offense.

Seconds later, Geodude was blasted back by a Water Gun while Onix was trapped in a swirl of glowing leaves that made it his the wall. Ash looked back and immediately felt relieved to find Brock and Wally standing near the exit with Mudkip and Ralts before them. This gave everyone ample time to leave to safety.

''Is everyone okay?'' The latter asked while Ash helped May to her feet.

''Yeah, just fine...you guys have great timing.'' May added, giving them a thumbs up.

''We heard a whole lot of noise and we thought there might be trouble.'' Brock offered. ''Shelby's helping us deal with the pokemon who freaked out here in the midst of all this.''

This brought attention to the woman and her Medicham, who were now dealing with a Makuhita and Hariyama that charged at them. Medicham seemed to be meditating for a moment but it easily blocked the Makuhita's strike before pushing it back. It blasted the two with a Psychic attack, knocking them out in seconds.

''Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to battle Medicham...'' Ash trailed off.

Max sighed ''I knew something like this might happen. Hey, we've gotta focus on helping Shelby, remember?''

Ash looked sheepish ''I will, definitely.''

The younger boy rolled his eyes in response while the rest were amused. May snickered ''Come on, Max, this is just Ash all over.''

* * *

The group sent out their flying types for a better perspective but none seemed to have found anything. However, Taillow and Swablu spotted an odd area which they decided to check. Thus, their next stop was a somewhat rocky area that lead to plains.

''Hmm, looking back, this was the area where those rumors started...'' Shelby mused.

''You know, the rumors seem awfully vague. Wish we had something to track that Mega Stone.'' May admitted.

''I'm not sure it can ever be this easy.'' Max sighed.

''To be honest, neither am I.'' Shelby said truthfully. ''I've been hoping that Medicham may be able to sense the stone with her psychic abilities but that rarely seems to work. We've just been using it to zone in on the possible location. I knew it wouldn't be easy though, that must be why the news about Mega Evolution is so scarce.''

This had Ash wondering how much Professors Oak and Birch knew about the phenomena. He made a mental note to ask them at the soonest opportunity.

Pikachu blinked as it heard something strange, its ears perking up. The mouse called to the others and pointed to the source.

''What's up, Pikachu?''

Pikachu gestured at the clearing just ahead of them, somewhat obscured by a number of bushes. There were a number of Machop standing around a surprisingly big Machoke, the pokemon seemed to be talking and the Machoke seemed to be the leader of the fighting types.

May blinked twice ''What's going on?''

Shelby's brow furrowed ''I've heard of this bunch. Machoke is actually the boss of this area, so a lot of the pokemon defer to him.''

Brock bit his lip, he suspected the answer to the question in his mind but figured he might as well make sure ''Any chance they'll let us pass peacefully?''

Shelby was about to admit that the answer was likely to be no but then, the pokemon spotted them. The Machoke glowered and began barking orders at the pokemon surrounding it. The Machop jumped out to strike a second later, a number preparing a Karate Chop then.

''Pikachu, Thunderbolt!'' Ash called, the powerful blast stopped them cold.

Similarly, Ralts handled the Machop coming on the other end with his psychic ablities and May send out Swablu to put the Machop that tried to jump at her and Max to sleep with the cotton bird's Sing attack.

The Machoke growled, its anger obviously rising. The pokemon still with it made to move but Shelby spoke ''Now hold on. We really don't want any trouble but since you seem to respect strength, how about this? We'll battle you. If Medicham win, you let us pass. If not, we'll leave.''

Machoke considered the suggestion for a few moments before finally nodding in consent, letting out a battle cry.

The two sides stood on opposite ends at an open field with everyone watching with anticipation.

''Is this really the only way?'' May couldn't help but wonder.

''Going by what happened before, I don't think we have a choice.'' Wally stated.

Ash nodded ''It's like Shelby said before. Some pokemon respect the power of actions more than words. This is the way those pokemon believe in, that's all.''

Machoke used Focus Energy, its body suddenly surrounded by an intense red aura which faded in moments. At the same time, Shelby had Medicham use Bulk Up for a boost of their own. The two fighting types clashed then, exchanging a few blows before Machoke's strikes grew stronger and much faster all of a sudden, taking Medicham off guard and pushing it back.

''That's Close Combat...'' Shelby acknowledged. ''...it's all right, use Force Palm!''

It soon became apparent that while Machoke had power to spare, Medicham was the faster, more graceful combatant as its footwork enabled it to get a quick hit on its opponent. Machoke used Karate Chop with both arms but Medicham was able to weave and dodge through the strikes with relative ease.

''Wow, Medicham's doing great!'' Max exclaimed.

Apparently undeterred, Machoke raised an arm and struck the rocks before it hard, breaking them up and causing pellets to hit Medicham then, leaving it cringing. Machoke came in to strike next with another Close Combat but Shelby acted then.

''Medicham, focus! Use Psychic, Machoke's right in front of you!''

Shaking its head, the meditate pokemon called on its psychic abilites and was soon able to trap Machoke and suspend it in the air. On Shelby's command, this was followed by another Force Palm before Medicham threw its opponent down.

Machoke pulled itself up and hurried to use Submission, thus the pokemon clashed in close combat again, both coming to a tie. When Machoke charged again, Shelby had Medicham strike back with Psyshock, sending th opponent reeling.

''Hey, all right!'' Ash cheered.

Brock smiled ''Medicham's obviously been trained well. I can see how the Mega Evolution would work with them.''

Machoke's arm glowed as it attacked again, this time much more slowly and it was clearly getting tired. Shelby had Medicham stun it with a Force Palm attack before following up with a Hi Jump Kick that sent Machoke crashing down and out.

''Excellent, Medicham.'' She smiled and Medicham bowed back while their new friends cheered.

All was not well however, as the remaining Machop appeared aggravated over their boss' defeat and they seemed ready to battle. Machoke itself intervened, forcing them to a stop and everyone was relieved. The pokemon was clearly willing to honor the deal with Shelby.

The woman smiled ''You really are good, I can see why you're feared around here. Medicham just happens to be better that's all. You're an honorable pokemon.''

Machoke inclined his head in thanks before pushing a few rocks near the corner back, revealing a new path...

* * *

The group went on through a small cave-in. There was a spring nearby, along with some flora and fauna spread over the place. It seemed like a relaxing, tranquil place.

Medicham stopped as it sensed something up on the rocks above them and jumped over. In seconds, the pokemon came back with a large rock.

''So you did sense something after all? But it's just a rock...'' May looked puzzled.

''Hold on, look at this.'' Wally pointed at the gleaming part of the rock and Shelby followed his line of sight, immediately noticing the shimmering stone there.

She gasped ''That's it! The Medichamite!''

Medicham carefully broke the rock, making sure to catch the Mega Stone before handing the item to its trainer.

''So, that's it?'' Ash wanted to know.

''I'm fairly sure, yes. I've heard that the pokemon who can Mega Evolve react to the appropriate Mega Stones for their species.'' Shelby began to grin. ''Time to test it out. Ash, are you up for that battle you mentioned earlier?''

The boy grinned back ''You bet!''

* * *

The group returned to the campsite and soon the battlers took their places on open space. Ash sent out Taillow while May stood as the referee.

''Hey, Ash's being strategic this time.'' Max noted with pleasant surprise, since Taillow was strong against fighting types.

Brock crossed his arms ''I think there's more to it. He knows how strong Shelby and Medicham are after all.''

''All right, begin!'' May called.

Ash took the first move ''All right, use Quick Attack!''

''Medicham, Psyshock.'' Shelby responded at once.

In a second, the meditate pokemon created the powerful orbs that soared at Taillow. But Ash took advantage of his pokemon's increased speed to avoid it.

''Whoa, nice!'' Max exclaimed.

Wally would be inclined to agree but he wasn't sure it was that simple. Shelby proved his rising suspicion to be accurate when Medicham easily redirected the Psyshock to hit Taillow in a second with its abilities. The boy had done something similar with Ralts' Magical Leaf before so he imagined an experienced pokemon like Medicham could easily manipulate such a situation.

''Force Palm!'' Shelby called and Medicham jumped to strike the stunned Taillow.

''Snap out of it! Use Wing Attack!'' Ash cried. For a few moments it looked like that wouldn't work but Taillow managed to recover in time and pushed Medicham back. ''Good, do it again!''

''I don't think so, use Psychic!''

Ash looked alarmed as Taillow was trapped by the powerful attack before Medicham slammed it down.

''Ash really needs to be more careful. Psychic types can be tricky.'' Wally remarked.

''I'll say. He knows he's facing a tough opponent too, he just got carried away.'' May huffed in annoyance, expecting better of the boy.

''Psyshock!'' Shelby commanded, which caused Ash to tell his pokemon to get out of there.

It quickly turned out that Shelby was expecting this though, since she quickly had Medicham jump to where Taillow stopped. The pokemon tried to attack with Peck on command but Medicham easily stopped it with a Force Palm.

''Now then...'' Shelby raised her Mega Ring and Medicham's new stone began to glow. ''...Medicham, Mega Evolve!''

Both the ring and stone began to glow with dazzling light, obscuring Medicham from view for a moment. In a second, it was revealed to have a taller, more lean form, with eight appendages flying from its shoulders. It also exuded a more powerful aura and everyone knew Medicham was more formidable than before.

Shelby looked pleased at the proof that all their work paid off ''Let's start with Psychic!''

Ash reacted at once ''Get out of there!''

But it was no use. It quickly became apparent that Medicham had a wider range of Psychic use in its Mega Form, which left it easily able to trap Taillow and slam it against the wall.

Ash ground his teeth as Taillow slowly flew up, realizing their predicament was much worse now. He knew Taillow was about as willing to give up as he was, which is to say, not in the slightest.

''Use Wing Attack!''

Taillow gathered up its power and charged, nailing the attack succesfully. It didn't seem to do much though and Ash wondered if Shelby waited on purpose to see how her newly evolved partner's defenses faired.

''You two really are something else, that kind of perseverance can be remarkable.'' Shelby stated. ''Medicham, let's end this with Psyshock!''

With a wave of its hand, Mega Medicham conjured a flurry of shining orbs which it directed to strike Taillow. Ash had the bird try to get away but it was no use and in seconds, the Psyshock attack struck it down and out.

''Taillow is unable to battle, Medicham wins. The winner is Shelby!''

* * *

Ash exhaled at the declaration and went to pick up Taillow, who shook itself as it woke up, a look of shame settling on its face as it absorbed the fact that it lost.

''Hey, don't sweat it, buddy. You did good.'' He assured.

''Absolutely.'' Shelby agreed as she walked over, using a Hyper Potion on the bird, making it feel much better. ''You both did good.''

''Thanks, you and Medicham really are pretty strong.'' Ash praised.

''And that Mega form was so cool!'' Max added as everyone settled down.

''Why thank you, this girl here has been my number one partner for as long as I've been a trainer.'' Shelby smiled. ''You're clearly a skilled trainer, Ash but your tendency to be rash leads to mistakes that could be avoided.''

''I'll keep that in mind. Hey, I was wondering, with how tough you are, did you participate in the league or something?''

''You can say that.'' Shelby returned. ''I had to move to the Sinnoh region just shortly after I became a trainer. The rest of my team is watching things at home currently but we did participate in Sinnoh's Battle frontier. It was really exciting.''

Ash blinked ''What's a Battle Frontier?''

''Hey, I think Dad talked about it before, right Max? Something about a whole bunch of unique challenges for trainers everywhere?'' May recalled.

The boy nodded ''He was really interested in participating too. The one in Sinnoh is apparently the first of its kind, that's why it's really famous.''

''That sounds really neat.'' Ash enthused. The Sinnoh and Kalos regions...he hadn't heard much of them before but he was already interested in learning more. Perhaps he might even visit them one day, it was definitely something to look forward to.

''Things got pretty interesting today, huh?'' Wally smiled.

''Totally!'' Ash grinned. ''Now I want to see what those other regions are all about too.''

''I'd like that too...''

Ash blinked ''What's up?''

Wally's smile grew ''I was just thinking...it's strange, a few months ago I never would have imagined that I'd even get the chance to go on a journey even in Hoenn. Now I'm doing it and even imagining and thinking of going so much further.''

''Just another thing to show how far you came. '' Ash draped an arm around his shoulders. ''And it just gets better from here, right?''

''Right.''

They started talking about their shared experiences in their respective journeys and the group found Shelby's stories particularly entertaining.

''Ah, if you're both taking the gym challenge then you might swing by my home.'' Shelby remarked. ''We're going to visit my family soon but I'll be back in Fortree City in a short while. I would love to see you all there.''

''You can count on it.'' May returned with a smile.

Both turned as Brock called that dinner was ready. Ash and May perked up at this ''Come on!'' The latter exclaimed.

''Yeah, it smells great!'' Ash added.

''Those two are peas in a pod.'' Max deadpanned before he looked at the others. ''Better hurry or they'll make sure nothing's left for the rest of us.''

Shelby chuckled while Wally looked amused as she remarked ''Well, I think it's cute. They certainly do seem to get along nicely, but you're right, Max. Let's not waste anymore time.''

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _Well, how was it? Good, I hope? I was just deciding what to do about this chapter and then this little idea occurred to me. Shelby's technically not an OC. She's based on one of those expert trainers from the games (I'm not sure what they were called exactly). I really wanted a way to introduce Mega Evolution so here we are. As mentioned above, I already know ways to give Ash and Wally Mega items, I'm just not sure about May or Brock yet. But I'll get back to working on that._

 _I'm planning to use Shelby again later when I get to Fortree City, you'l see the rest of her team then I was actually thinking maybe I'd have her enter the Hoenn League or something. I'm still on the fence with that one._

 _I try to stick an update schedule but that never seems to work so I've given the idea up. Anywho, I'll get back to planning my chapters since was the last pre-planned one I had ready. Thanks for reading my work and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Well, this took longer than I intended...sorry, I've been busy. I'm also working to get a bunch of ideas sorted out and prepare ahead for my stories, which is why I have the idea for the next chapter practically ready but I don't think I'll ever be able to keep a schedule. Anywho, thanks to everyone who reviewed last time..._

 _Mario 64: Thanks, you were right about Ash the Rainbow Hero, it's an interesting story._

 _Advance shipper: Glad you like it. I'm thinking of introducing Primal Reversion into the story maybe when I get to Dewford. I'll have to get back there so Wally can get the badge but it'll be kind of late. I remember in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, there was this big mural of the reversion forms in Granite Cave so I think I'll use that. I like the game's approach to the Kyogre and Groudon situation so I'll probably be using more of it. It'd be awesome to see a Diamond and Pearl remake but that doesn't look it'll happen anytime soon, if ever. Anyway, I think it was mentioned the red and blue orbs have to do with Primal Reversion but I can't be sure so I'll be looking into that. It's always nice to hear from you._

 _Guest: Thanks, I'll definitely work hard to keep it up._

 _Scooby-Doo 150: Thanks for thinking of sharing the idea with me-it's interesting for sure. The only problems are, I don't think I'll get to play Sword and Shield and I'm still learning more about them. I've actually been waiting to see what the anime is like for that reason too. But the idea of having them travel together again with those references to the old times and other characters like Zoey and Serena. Maybe even some of Ash's rivals like Paul or Barry coming to the Galar region sounds pretty cool. I wonder if they'll do something like that for the anime...Anyway, I'll probably have to get back to you on this._

* * *

After stopping at a Pokemon Center for a break, the group winds up separating to go about doing different things. Ash, May and Max talk to some of the trainers and coordinators present, which gives May more information about contests. They went out to the field after May asked Ash for a little help training.

Thus, the two stood at opposite sides with Ash using Taillow and May having Skitty out. A battle quickly got under way...

''Skitty, Blizzard!''

''Use Wing Attack!''

Taillow chirped and soared above the ice attack, speeding up to strike Skitty a second later. Ash grinned ''Nice, Taillow! Now use Quick Attack!'' The next strike was also a good hit, making May gasp as Skitty hit the ground.

''Skitty, are you okay?!'' She looked relieved as the pink cat jumped back up. ''All right, use Assist!''

Skitty was surrounded by a white glow for a second before letting out a cry, with some musical notes visible as the sound wave struck Taillow. Oddly enough, despite Ash telling his pokemon to dodge, nothing happened.

Max arched an eye ''Oh, that must've been Swablu's Round...wait, how come Taillow didn't move though? Is he getting tired?''

Ash, who had been wondering the same thing, called out to his pokemon again. Taillow let out an odd cry as it landed, this let everyone see that a healthy pink blush was on its face with an absolutely dopey expression to match. ''What?!''

May was similarly confused but then Max called out to her ''May, Skitty's Cute Charm took effect, Taillow's completely smitten!''

''Oh...'' The girl kicked herself for forgetting about the ability, thinking it really made sense. ''...in that case, use Double Slap and follow it up with Tackle, Skitty!''

The first assault left Taillow stunned in place and vulnerable as Skitty rammed the bird pokemon a second later, making it hit the ground.

Ash frowned ''Taillow, come on!''

May smirked ''Good job, go on with Assist!''

Cute Charm or not, they were not about to give up here. Ash thought to himself as Skitty this time generated Torchic's Ember attack. ''Snap out of it, you have to get out of there!''

Eventually, both trainers agreed to stop training for now as pokemon were getting tired and they were hungry. As they head to the cafeteria, the two agreed to keep at it later.

''You really are getting better at this, May.'' Ash said.

She beamed ''Thanks! Well...''

''For real?''

The girl blinked and turned left, seeing two boys talking to each other. ''Yeah, this guy's really something-he beat my older sister. And I heard he's won a whole lot of battles, they say he's on a 40 something streak.''

''Wow, so this trainer won all those battles consecutively? He must be something else.''

''No kidding...''

Ash perked up, intrigued to hear more about this trainer. After a moment of thought, he approached the two boys to see if he could find him. He sounded like a great opponent to battle...

* * *

At the same time, Wally was helping Brock get the supplies for their journey. It was quite an amount but between the two of them, they were able to handle themselves.

''Looks like you're still keeping up that hard work, huh?'' Brock said as they went to the cash register.

''Well, we're trying...Max said the next gym isn't too far away and I want to make sure we're ready.'' Wally admitted.

''That's good, knowing you and your pokemon, I think you can go further and further.''

''Thanks, Brock...Ralts actually learned a new move this morning...''

Brock seemed pleased at the news but before he could get to comment, he wound up bumping into someone who was coming from the opposite side, making him drop a couple of the things he was carrying.

The other person, who was a boy around Wally's age with auburn hair and bright green eyes, also stumbled as a result but steadied himself quickly. He was accompanied by a Sneasel, who proceeded to grab Brock's things with ease.

''Sorry about that.'' The boy told Brock. ''Guess I wasn't looking...''

''Nah, it's all right. I have to say, your Sneasel seems to have quite the fast reflexes. You seem to be taking good care of it.''

''You can tell?''

''It comes with what I do-I'm working to be a top pokemon breeder.'' Brock returned.

''Cool. It's been a while since I ran into a breeder...'' The boy had a thought. ''...say, do you think you could give me your opinion of my team? I want to take care of them to the best of my ability.''

A pleasantly surprised Brock smiled and stated that he would be glad to before him introducing himself and Wally. The boy grinned ''Thanks! I'm Ricardo, how about we finish up here and you guys come with us?''

* * *

Ricardo took them to an open area at the town's outskirts before releasing the rest of his pokemon. Besides Sneasel, he had a Houndoom, an Eevee and a Murkrow.

''I've always liked dark type pokemon and so I want to become a great dark type specialist.'' The boy explained. ''One day in the future, I want to open my own gym.''

''That a nice goal...'' Wally trailed off. ''...Come to think of it, I've never heard of a dark type gym...''

''Me either.'' Brock added with some surprise.

''Same.'' Ricardo admitted. ''That makes me want to do it all the more though. But enough about that, what's your goal?'' He asked Wally as Brock went on to examine his pokemon.

Wally wasn't quite sure his was so defined like their goals but he answered anyway. ''For a long time, I never thought I could be a trainer but now that I'm here I really want to make the most of this and see what's out there. I've found some great friends, especially with Ralts and Electrike so I know how you feel. I want to do what's best by them and my other friends too.''

''Nice, that's the way to go.'' Ricardo had a feeling the other boy had gone through a lot, thinking that this answer came from the heart. ''I totally get you, this journey's been a blast for me and it's stuff like working hard and being good friends with our pokemon that'll make it even better.''

Wally nodded with a smile of his own, both looked at Brock as he rejoined them. ''Well, Ricardo, I'm impressed. I can tell you're really trying hard with your team.'' The boy perked up at this. ''Anything in particular you can tell me about them?''

''Houndoom here was actually my starter.'' Brock nodded, thinking it explained why the dark and fire type was the one in best shape. ''I got Eevee from a trade recently but I think we're coming to connect well over all. I considered finding more pokemon but for now I'll just keep working and making sure we're all a good team.''

Brock nodded in approval ''I think you have the right idea.''

''Well, it's still a work and progress. Sneasel's kind of a picky eater and I can't seem to find food that works well enough with Eevee. I've been letting them choose but even still...''

''Hmm...Wally, you have the berries we picked up before right? Can you hand me a pair?''

The boy nodded and the berry packs they had bought, allowing Brock to select a pair before he proceeded to cut and grind them. After taking some pokemon food, he spread the powder over it and gave the plate to Eevee. The evolution pokemon sniffed it with a curious look before perking up and digging in.

''Whoa...'' Ricardo let out while even his pokemon shared surprised looks. ''...I don't think I've ever seen Eevee eat like that.''

''About Sneasel now...'' Brock started to think and he offered the pokemon a couple of ideas for food and Ricardo suggested things they tried in the past but Sneasel showed no interest. He eventually figured that with the pokemon's type, it may preferred more colder food. They immediately tried to check and Ricardo groaned, kicking himself for not considering the possibility

With that out of the way, Brock offered the boy more advice on pokemon care, like finding a different and softer brush. Ricardo listened attentively, keen on making use of the older boy's experience.

Ricardo began to apply some of Brock's advice with Murkrow, which was when the latter noticed how Wally was watching them. ''What's up?''

''Ah...I just thought...w-well...''

''Come on, you know you can tell me anything, right?''

''Um, it's just...well, up until I met you, I only heard of what breeders did but with this...'' Wally trailed off. ''...I know it's a bit late to say but it really gave me a new appreciation for what you do for me and the others, I'm really glad you're traveling with us.''

Surprised, Brock couldn't help but smile as the words left him touched ''That's really nice of you to say. I'm the one who appreciates it. This is the kind of thing I like to do to help, of course I'd do it for you guys. I'm glad you're traveling with us too, Wally.''

* * *

Later, the three boys sat down and began getting to know each other, Ricardo being very interested to hear Brock and Wally's stories about their journeys before telling them about his own.

''Man, you guys had some colorful times...'' He leaned back. ''...We cut a long distance in a short while so I thought it was time for a break...at least it was supposed to be one.''

The two were left curious and Brock asked ''How do you mean?''

Ricardo looked a bit annoyed as he answered ''I don't know why but some people are coming up with pretty exaggerated rumors about me. It wound up making people want to battle me but it's just that I've had a lucky streak of wins. They're just taking it too far.''

''Well, adding to what we've seen now, I'd say it's proof you're a good trainer.''

''Yeah...'' Wally stroked Murkrow's feathers, with the dark type giving him an affectionate nip in return. ''...they definitely seem happy with you.'' Murkrow chirped as if to affirm this.

Ricardo looked a bit embarrassed as he laughed ''Thanks...''

They arrived at the Pokemon Center a short while later and head to the cafeteria to have lunch. It was around then that they were found by Ash, May and Max.

Max's eyes widened, recognizing Ricardo from the description he head earlier ''Hey, I think it's him! He's the trainer from the rumors.''

Ricardo held back a groan ''Don't tell me...'' Ash proved his rising suspicion true as he quickly challenged the boy to a battle. ''...No, thanks.''

''What do you mean, no?!'' Ash frowned.

''Yeah, you can't refuse a battle. That's like basic.'' Max added.

''Says who?'' Ricardo said flatly. ''My team and I have been working hard lately and we're looking for a break so no, I'm not going to battle.''

''Ah, come on, I wanted to see if you were as good as they say...'' Ash admitted.

''That's all the more reason for me to turn this down. You're not changing my mind.'' Ricardo interjected.

May, who noticed that Ash was about to press on, frowned ''Ash, lay off. If he doesn't want to battle, that's that.''

''She's right, leave it alone.'' Brock added, figuring that Ricardo was at the limit of his patience. Knowing Ash, he was more than likely to test the limits of said patience.

Wally bit his lip at the tense atmosphere between the two irritated boys ''Ah...Ricardo, would you come with me?''

* * *

Ricardo sighed in relief once they were out at the field ''Thanks, that guy really seemed persistent.''

''Well...Ash doesn't mean anything bad. He just gets carried away with how much loves battles.'' Wally offered.

''I love battles too, he had no right to act like that.''

Wally couldn't help but agree ''It's okay, we know you reasons so we'll help you.''

Ricardo spared him a grateful look ''Thanks. Anyway, after what you guys said before, I'm curious. What're your pokemon like?'' He smiled as the other boy sent out Ralts and Electrike before introducing them and the two greeted Ricarrdo in turn, to which the boy grinned and let out his own pokemon.

''Heeh, they really are like the description.'' Ricardo mused as Ralts gave a happy wave. ''Ralts was your first pokemon, right?''

''Mmhm, he's my best friend.''

Ralts beamed at this before running with Eevee and Houndom to play with the rest of the pokemon. Ricardo began to smile as they see how the pokemon get along, thinking that things were shaping up for himself today.

* * *

''Bottom line is, Ricardo has no intention to battle-he already humored enough people. So drop it.'' Brock told Ash and Max sternly once he finished explaining things.

''R-right, got it...'' The first said while the latter nodded back, cowed, understanding that they pushed things too far.

May rolled her eyes ''It's about time.'' She got a poster out of her pocket. ''So I was thinking...I found this before.'' She revealed it to be a colorful poster that depicted an advertisement about an event set up recently. ''it's about this new thing they've got going. A Fun House where trainers and pokemon get to play together. You guys want to try? It sounds fun.''

Max perked up ''Yeah, we should try it out. Let's tell Wally and Ricardo and go together.''

Brock smiled ''Sounds interesting, I'll call them.''

* * *

Their destination was big, with a vast garden around it. The building was mostly an off white shade but there were splashes of color here and there, stylized in some shapes, like a shooting star for instance. There were a couple of children running around with a grinning Machamp racing after them. All in all, it already looked like a lively place.

''So what do you know about this place, May?'' Ash asked.

''I read about it in a magazine a while back. It's kind of new...it's meant to be another way to help bring people and pokemon closer.'' The girl returned. ''I don't remember all the details but there's a bunch of activities spread out depending on the day. There's a few more like this one and the word is, the Pokemon League will help spread the idea once the trial period's over.''

''Cool, let's go in!''

They entered and approached the attendant at the front desk before paying for entry, with some being particularly careful to learn about the events present despite others wanting to hurry up. A few boards and posters spread out through the entrance hall had the events held today, games called Berry Catching, Relay Run and Pennant Dash.

''Would you just cool it?'' Ricardo said in response to Ash telling them to come on. ''Some of us actually care to learn about this.''

''Yeah, you don't have rush everything. Anyway, what'd you guys find out?'' May asked and the boy and Wally proceeded to tell the game rules that had been on the posters.

Ash frowned ''He didn't have to say it like that...''

''Ash, give him a break. Bad first impressions tend to have an effect, you know.'' Brock pointed out.

''Ricardo's right anyway, going off half-cocked never pays off.'' Max added. ''Something I think you should know by now.''

''Okay, okay, point taken...''

* * *

The Berry Catching game took place in the garden. There was to be five contestants at each turn with one pokemon each and to a five minute limit. They had the contestants with baskets all gathered near some trees while three Machoke rattle the trees and their chosen pokemon had to help time and even show them where a berry would fall but not use any move or ability.

Ash decided to enter with Pikachu, May with Beautifly, Wally with Ralts, Brock with Lombre. Wally lent Electrike to Max so he could enter and Ricardo decided to enter with Sneasel.

The start was a bit of a mess since the berries appeared to be falling at random but the group managed to make it work.

When the time limit drew a close...

Max quickly stepped to the left as the Machoke changed their pace and struck the trees at a different area. But in all the haste, he wound up stumbling and bumping into Ash and Ricardo, sending the surprised trainers back too and almost falling to the way side.

Alarmed, Ralts used his psychic powers to stop the three in mid-air and settle them on the ground, making sure they could avoid a possibly bad fall. The boy sighed in relief but then the referee called for the game to stop, declaring that Wally and Ralts were disqualified since pokemon weren't allowed to use any powers.

''What? That's not fair, Ralts was trying to help us!'' Max argued.

''I understand that and I'm sorry but those are the rules. I can't bend them.'' The man returned.

The feeling pokemon was left dismayed, of course not regretting the choice he made but nothing thinking something like this would happen. Electrike nudged him gently and offered a grin, glad that his friend had made such a choice.

Wally patted his head ''Hey, it's okay. You did really good back there.''

Ricardo sighed ''Man, it really wound up being a mess. You guys okay?''

''We are-thanks to Ralts, that is.'' Ash stated.

''Yeah, thanks.'' Max said to the pokemon before looking at Wally. ''Sorry about this.''

''It's fine, at least no one got hurt. Ralts did the right thing.''

The pokemon in question perked up and smiled as the three boys thanked him. While the referee didn't back down from his earlier statement, he was willing to offer them some berries. May grinned, deciding to make the most of this ''Okay, how about we enjoy a few berries before the next game starts?''

* * *

The course set for the relay run happened to nearby, a seperate area just beyond the garden. It was set to have four participants at each go, for them to have three pokemon ready and wait at certain points before they dash on, with barriers having been set between each side to avoid collisions.

''Okay, how to go about this?'' Ash started to think.

''Wait, you want to enter?'' Brock tilted his head.

''Well yeah, I want to.''

He shared a glance with Wally, who seemed just as puzzled before he spoke up ''You don't exactly have three pokemon that can participate though...''

Ash blinked ''What do you mean? I've got four, you know that!''

''Yeah, but you remember the rules. They have to be able to run at a similar pace.'' Brock pointed out.

The boy held back a wince as he saw what they were getting at. Pikachu and Treecko could do this no problem, Taillow wasn't much of a runner and the odds of Corphish being able to run at a similar pace weren't good. ''Oh, great...''

''So what're you going to do?'' Max asked, to which he had no response.

Luckily for him, May did. She was really glad she checked the rules with Wally and Ricardo before.''Well, it's encouraged for the three pokemon on the race to be from one trainer but they do allow two trainers on the same team. How about I enter with you?''

Ash perked up ''Sounds good.'' He watched as she called out Skitty. ''...Oh, this'll work. Skitty's got the energy of like three pokemon.''

May smirked ''That's exactly the point.''

Ricardo looked curious at this but he decided not to ask. ''We better hurry then, you two. I think they're about to start.''

* * *

The race kicked off with a flurry and at first, it was hard to make out who was who in the chaos. Almost everyone took to watching the two screens that had been set up to figure it out.

The first's group competition was quickly centered around Houndoom, Skitty and a Zigzagoon a little behind them. Ricardo kept a close eye on things while encouraging his pokemon, though he couldn't help but glance at Skitty incredulously ''...Ash wasn't kidding, Skitty's energy is insane...''

''Keep it going, Skitty!'' May cheered.

''Come on, Houndoom, you've got this!'' Ricardo called.

Eventually, the latter was the one who came out on top and wasted no time relaying the waiting Eevee. The evolution pokemon dashed at Ricardo's command with Skitty arriving and relaying Pikachu a second later.

''Thanks you two, we'll handle things now!'' Ash grinned.

''Wow, this is intense.'' Max looked in amazement as some of the other observers cheered.

Eventually, the two who came out on top were Pikachu and Eevee. They put in an extra burst of speed at their trainers' cheering, with Pikachu coming out on top and reaching the awaiting Treecko first.

''All right, let's go, Treecko!'' Ash smiled. The grass starter nodded back and dashed on.

Eevee tagged Sneasel moments later, who also rushed off in an instant. It was at the final part of the run where the competition really heated up as all the pokemon were putting in all their effort to win, amidst all the cheers from the crowd and their trainers.

Treecko and Sneasel were the ones to get ahead first, clearly ahead of the curve. The two were almost neck and neck as they kept running to the finish line with all their speed. And in the end, the one who came out on top was Sneasel, making Ricardo and his team the winners.

* * *

Ash took the loss with good grace as he made to return Treecko ''Thanks, buddy. You did really good.''

''Mmhm, you really are something-Sneasel's my fastest pokemon. That's why I left him to the end.'' Ricardo admitted.

''You must have trained a whole bunch to get that kind of speed.'' The boy remarked as he put Treecko's pokeball away.

''Eh, I wanted to work on Sneasel's strengths and we just kept at it.'' Ricardo said with a shrug. He gathered up the three types of pokeballs that were his prize and put them in his bag. ''Anyway, you guys up for trying the third event now?''

* * *

The Pennant Dash was in the house itself, a big room that had a large balloon structure (like a bouncy castle of sorts) that occupied a decent size with a lot of pennants inside spheres that were stuck to the walls. The rules were simple, the pokemon all had to jump and tap the spheres they could in the time limit, with each success being recorded and the winner would get a bundle of pokeblocks. Like in Berry Catching, pokemon weren't allowed to use their powers. And of course, given the game's location, a select criteria of pokemon was allowed. Namely, ones who don't have sharp claws and such that could rip the big balloon up as trouble could easily be expected in the rush. Also a certain height and weight limit was set to avoid similar trouble.

Since five pokemon were allowed on each go to avoid overcrowding, the group was allowed to enter together. Ash chose Pikachu while Wally and Ricardo picked Ralts and Eevee respectively, May sent Beautifly while Brock had Mudkip out. The whistle went off and the pokemon proceeded to jump on cue.

It was once the game started that everyone understood why the pokemon were told to give each other such wide berths, likely to help avoid collisions. With the game's unique set up, things got a bit confusing but there was a board set nearby that tallied up the pokemon's results.

Unlike the other games, the scores here were fairly close to each other as the pokemon endeavored to reach as many targets as possible. More people were drawn by all the cheers and encouragement from those present.

''Wow, look at them go...''

''Yeah, I was wondering about this thing...so that's how it's supposed to go? Neat!''

''I wasn't sure about checking this place but man, it's been great so far.''

The trainers paid no attention to all the commotion and kept focusing on their pokemon, making sure to steer them in the right direction and avoid colliding with the others. A whistle blew to stop the game once the time limit was over and eyes traveled to the score, letting them all see that the winner was Ralts.

* * *

Soon afterwards, they headed back to the pokemon center...

''That place was great.'' Max leaned back in his seat.

''Yeah, I'm all for looking more into this next time. It's a really neat idea.'' May smiled.

Her brother hummed in agreement, giving a cheeky grin as he added ''It was pretty effective too, Ash really dropped the battle idea.''

The boy in question laughed ''Ah, give me a break, I wasn't going to try. Anyway, we had such a nice time that it completely slipped my mind in the end.''

''It sure makes for a nice change of pace.'' Wally remarked as he let Ralts and Electrike try some of the pokeblocks they won earlier.

Brock nodded and Ricardo spoke ''Yeah, those games were cool. I think our pokemon had a blast too. Oh and for the record, about the battle-even if I didn't agree now, I'm totally up to go for it another time, with both of you.''

Wally smiled back and Ash grinned ''Sounds great, I'll hold you to that then.''

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _One of the earlier reviews gave me the idea to use the Pokeathlon in the story somehow. As a result, this idea just came to me when I was working on my plans earlier, so there we go. I know Fun House isn't much of a name but I really couldn't think of anything else. I always liked those minigames, like the stuff from Pokemon Amie and this-so I wanted to see if I could work them in here. I hope the chapter was good. Oh, and I don't plan to add much OCs if I can help it. But this was an exception, I wanted to try working with a character that has a team like his. Ricardo's going to be a friendly rival, lousy first impressions aside. And I fully plan to have him battle the next time they meet._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading my work and I hope you enjoy it. Till next time!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Guest: Different was what I was going for. Erm, not really sure what you meant by the rest though, sorry._

 _Scooby-Doo 150: Yeah, I saw some of the episodes. The Sword and Shield anime looks nice. I especially like the Battle Frontier episode, the way they handled Ash's last battle was pretty neat. Heh, I got a lot more respect for Mr. Mime after seeing that. I don't know if the story idea you mentioned can happen though, I still think it's interesting but given how little info I have, I'm not sure if I can make it work._

 _Oh, but about the female rival...I'm thinking of making Zinnia one of those. Her Pokemon team was really something in the game. I can see her fitting in nicely with that role. I'm still debating how to use her in the story but it's definitely happening. Glad you liked the chapter though. Happy new year!_

 _Advance shipper: Always nice to hear from you. Good to hear that you liked the chapter. That's basically the plan for me, as far as the shipping goes. It really wouldn't make sense to just have Ash and May like each other out of the blue like that without a little buildup._

 _Yeah, I want to use the Delta Episode but I don't know how yet. I might use the battle with Rayquaza and Deoxys like in game or maybe differently. I'm still trying to decide. Zinnia's definitely going to appear in the story but not just yet._

* * *

After they stopped near a lake for some rest, May took Wally's suggestion and did a little performance with Beautifly to give Swablu more information about contests. And it certainly seemed more effective than just explaining, not to mention that Swablu had clearly enjoyed it.

May was left pleased by the outcome but then Brock had a thought ''Wait, I don't think it could be that simple.'' At the girl's surprise, he added. ''Swablu, Pokemon contests are actually held on big stages in front of lots of people. Do you think you can handle that?''

His suspicions were proven confirmed as Swablu chirped weakly, now clearly unnerved. May frowned ''You don't have to say it like that, Brock!''

Ash thought his old friend actually had the right idea ''Swablu has to know that, May. This is all about preparing her for what would come, right?''

''Yeah, I guess...'' She glanced at the Pokemon, who was looking at the ground. Swablu had just gotten comfortable around them so May wasn't all that surprised to find that her newest pokemon might be uncomfortable around big crowds. ''...ah, don't feel bad, Swablu. We'll figure things out!''

Ralts patted the downtrodden bird pokemon's head, offering some support with a smile.

''W-well...maybe Swablu could have a preview of sorts?'' Wally offered. ''Ah, we can offer all the explanations we want but it wouldn't compare to the real thing.''

Max perked up ''Good idea! Swablu can stay with us in the stands and we'll all cheer you on, May.''

His sister was smiling ''Mmhm, I like that. Thanks, Wally.''

The boy smiled back before picking Swablu up ''You don't have to decide right away, no pressure, right?'' He glanced at May, who nodded. ''You lived all your life in the wild so of course you aren't used to people, it's understandable. Just see what you make of it then. For what it's worth, we all know you'd be great.''

Swablu chirped happily before nuzzling Wally in thanks and then doing the same to May, leaving them both to laugh. Max looked amused ''Wally's sure changing, huh?''

''Yeah, he's really opening up and getting stronger.'' Ash grinned, as he saw Pikachu sit next to the boy. Wally got along well with their Pokemon too and it was really nice to see.

''Hey, you go out into this big, wide world and anyone could change.'' Brock stated. Maybe it was that or maybe this was just who Wally was all along and he needed a push to let it come out to light.

* * *

''Hey, what's that?'' Ash stared at a strange Pokemon flying over the lake. It had a round face and a small, lithe body, mostly black but its face was blue and a pale purple. Its blue eyes were focused on the ripples it created upon touching the lake. It had a golden ribbon on its chest.

May perked up ''Oh, it's cute!'' She held up her dex and it buzzed...

 _''Illumise, the Firefly Pokemon. Illumise attract a swarm of Volbeat with a sweet fragrance. Once the Volbeat have gathered, this Pokemon leads the lit up swarm in drawing geometric designs on the canvas of the night sky.''_

Then it was joined by another pokemon, this one was around the same size, with yellow eyes darting towards Illumise as it flew over. It had a pair of small yellow and black antenna, as well as a red collar like structure over its torso. Its stomach was striped black and yellow and there was a red bow tie on its chest.

Ash raised an eye and scanned the Pokemon. _''Volbeat, the Firefly Pokemon. Volbeat's tail glows like a light bulb. With other Volbeat, it uses its tail to draw geometric shapes in the night sky. This Pokemon loves the sweet aroma given off by Illumise.''_

Both Pokemon then began to dance, to the group's surprise. Brock began to smile ''Oh, looks like they're in love!''

''Hello!'' A Nurse Joy walked over. ''You're just in time for the Annual Love Dance Festival.''

Max blinked ''Love Dance Festival?'' May and Ash were just as confused but Wally's expression was one of understanding, having just remembered something.

But Brock spoke up before any of them could ''Woooow! Those two are certainly spreading the love! I already feel it blooming in my heart for you, Nurse Joy!''

''W-what?'' The woman was understandably thrown off.

Fortunately, Max was on top of things.

The boy grabbed Brock's ear and began pulling him away ''How is that love? Get a hold of yourself already...''

''Ignoring that...'' May deadpanned at the usual display. ''...what's this about a festival?''

''It's an old tradition for Illumise and Volbeat.'' She looked at Wally in surprise but he explained. ''I heard about it from Leon. He took Wanda out to it when they'd just gotten together. The dance is the main event, but there's music and fireworks in the end, Wanda says it's considered something of a symbol of romance.''

''Oh, I can see why. This sounds lovely, like a perfect place for a date!'' May exclaimed.

''Sounds interesting. You know what it's like, Wally?'' Ash wanted to know, curious to see what such an event was about.

''Well...'' The boy tried to remember what his cousin and her fiancee said. ''...I think it's this synchronized dance...um, it's supposed to be managed by two conductors.''

''Right. That's them over there.'' Nurse Joy pointed out two people standing on a deck that lead to the lake, a man and a woman. The man was somewhat plump with brown hair and matching eyes. He wore a bow tie like Volbeat's. The woman had short light purple hair and bright blue eyes. The man appeared to be nervous but the woman was smiling and carrying herself in a confident manner.

''How lovely!'' Brock was instantly smitten by her.

Max spared him an annoyed look ''Be consistent already. I bet you anything she isn't interested.''

''How about we check this thing out?'' Ash asked the group at large. They agreed and followed Nurse Joy to the stands.

The woman waved to the crowd with a welcoming smile ''Hello, everyone! We're about to begin.''

Brock cheered loudly with the rest of the crowd, keeping his eyes on her. Meanwhile, Nurse Joy spoke to the others ''That's Julie and her partner is Romeo. They've been working to be conductors to put on a show for everyone and it's gotten them excited.''

''Ready, Illumise?'' Julie asked. Her Pokemon nodded and she took a rod which let up with a bright red glow when she activated it. Illumise flew off once Julie began to twirl it.

When her Pokemon used Sweet Scent, Julie looked at her partner ''Romeo, it's Volbeat's turn.''

''A-ah, right!'' He went for his fanny sack but he was apparently so nervous that it fell because his hands were shaking. The pokeballs which were inside all fell, making him freak out. ''No!''

Brock scowled ''What is this? Julie deserves a man who wouldn't make her look unprofessional!''

''That's a little harsh, Brock...'' Ash started.

May nodded ''The poor guy just seems nervous.''

Ash got up ''Come on, you can do it!''

Romeo appeared surprised but he then smiled at the boy ''Thanks!'' Ash grinned and sat down, missing how May looked on in approval.

They watched as Romeo released four Volbeats, flying towards the one with the bow tie. But then they spotted Illumise and flew towards her instead, hearts appearing in their eyes as they smiled widely. The four flew on in sync as a surprised Illumise's eyes widened as she flew on.

''That...seems a bit off.'' Max blinked twice. ''Hey Wally, was it anything like that in Leon and Wanda's story?''

The boy shook his head ''They told me it was a sweet and graceful sight.''

Brock grumbled ''It seems anything but that...''

''You have to control your Pokemon!'' A worried Julie exclaimed.

Romeo nodded and took out a red rod. Like Julie before, he began to twirl it but then it slipped out of his grasp. It would have fallen in the lake had the Volbeat with the bow tie not moved to catch it in time, making Romeo relieved. ''Thanks, Beato.''

Just as Beato made to bring it over, the four Volbeat flew into him, sending them all crashing off into Illumise. This left the poor Pokemon to spin out of control before falling into the lake.

Gasps rang out among the crowd as Romeo stiffened and Julie began calling for Illumise. The five Volbeat were struggling to stay afloat as Romeo moved to help but then he smashed into Julie, who dove to look for her Pokemon, making him fall too. He, like the Volbeat group, is having trouble swimming.

This was remedied by Ash and Brock, who sent out their water types to help them all out. Just as Mudkip and Lombre had gotten all the Volbeats out, Julie came back to the surface. ''I can't find Illumise!''

Romeo, who was holding to Corphish as the pokemon helped him get to the bank, stiffened. He wanted to help but knew he couldn't here. Brock stepped up ''It's all right. Mudkip, go look for Illumise!''

Nodding, the mudfish pokemon jumped in. Moments later, Mudkip was able to find the firefly Pokemon unconscious at the bottom of the lake. The water type moved fast and got the bug type to the surface in moments, allowing Julie to pick her up. ''Thank you!''

* * *

Nurse Joy let out a breath as she met Julie and Romeo at the Pokemon center's counter, her Chansey holding a tray with five pokeballs nearby. ''Your Pokemon are going to be fine. Romeo's Volbeats are already healed but Illumise needs a little more rest so I'll be doing another check up for her.''

''Right.'' Julie said, worry clear in her eyes. Romeo turned to Chansey as she approached him and picked up his pokeballs with a quiet thanks. Unable to look Julie in the eye after this blunder, Romeo quickly apologized and left before either woman could stop him.

It wasn't long before he was found by Ash and Pikachu ''Hey! Are your Pokemon going to be okay?''

''Y-yeah...'' Romeo trailed off as the rest of the group found them. ''...thanks for before...and helping our Pokemon too.''

''Don't worry about it.'' The boy waved a dismissive hand, seeing Pikachu nod. ''Romeo, right? I'm Ash and this is my buddy, Pikachu.'' The electric type waved. ''And they're our friends, Brock, May, Max and Wally.''

Romeo nodded slightly ''So you came to check up on things? That's real nice of you.''

''Hey, it's nothing, really.'' Max returned.

''You guys were interested in the dance too, right? I'm sorry I messed up...'' He trailed off, downcast.

''You shouldn't be beating yourself up now, the question is what are you going to do?'' Brock asked. ''You can't mess up like that again.''

Romeo groaned ''I know! Believe me, I know...but I don't know what to do, that always seems to happen. It looks like I can't fix it after all!''

''Drop the defeatist attitude! Julie deserves much better than this!'' The boy chided.

May spared him a glare ''He already feels bad, don't kick him when he's this down. Romeo, walk us through this, we might be able to help.''

''Y-you will?''

''Sure! What do you guys think?'' May inquired.

''Sounds good.'' Ash returned while Wally nodded.

''Yup, no problem here.'' Max added.

''I'll do it for Julie!'' Brock decided.

''Thank you!'' Romeo smiled.

''If we figure things out, you can surprise Julie and Illumise when they get back.'' May grinned

''Yeah! How do we start?''

''I think my sister has the right idea. Let's run through this whole deal carefully.'' Max said. ''First of all, can you think of any specific problem so we can work on them?''

* * *

They headed back to the lake and Romeo stepped up to face the group ''I've been thinking it over. The problem isn't the performance at all, we've had that covered.''

''Really? Let's check it out!'' An intrigued Ash exclaimed.

Nodding, Romeo released his Volbeats and took out the red rod from before. Except this time, he moved it swiftly and smoothly, and the Volbeat flew in perfect sync. After doing a few loops, they gathered into a V-formation as they flew over the lake and stopped behind their trainer.

''That was great!'' Wally stated.

''Yeah, how'd you mess up so badly before?'' Max inquired.

''That's, erm...that what I was getting at before.'' Romeo said sheepishly. ''I get real nervous when I perform with Julie. I want to be my absolute best for her. It's just so hard.''

''It shouldn't be if you care so much...'' Ash tralled off.

May hummed as she thought this over ''...Okay, Romeo, be honest. How do you feel about Julie in general?''

''She's absolutely amazing.'' The man began to smile. ''My knees go weak every time I'm around her.''

The girl grinned ''Aww, how cute...that sounds like love to me!''

Romeo spluttered, blushing. This showed that she was more than likely right on the money. Ash blinked ''Can't you just tell her how you feel?''

''W-what?! No way!'' Romeo exclaimed.

''Ash, confessing feelings like that is never easy.'' May admonished. ''Try to understand how it's like for him. There's always the fear of things turning bad if you do come clean. The consequences can be hard.''

''That sounds pretty specific.'' Brock noted with a raised eye.

May hid a wince, feeling her face grow a bit warm ''Oh, just leave that alone, we have to focus.''

Fortunately for her, Ash decided to help ''Yeah, we better keep our heads in this. So we basically have to find a way to make sure Romeo can stay calm around Julie. Only...how?''

''Well...''

''I think telling Julie the truth is a great idea!'' Brock exclaimed after a few moments where they all stopped to think.

May huffed in annoyance as it was clear that he was thinking about himself ''This is about Romeo, not hopeless dreamers.''

Romeo looked down ''I might be a hopeless dreamer too though...I'm still scared of Julie turning me down...''

Wally found himself thinking of Leon and Wanda again. He remembered when his cousin had doubts about their relationship given where they both lived and how hard it was for them to see each other. But Leon had taken that matter and did all he could to fix it, refusing to give up.

Back when the Rusturf Project had begun, there had been a lot of trouble due to the Pokemon present and for a while, it was likely to be abandoned. Leon had solved that problem all on his own, going through hard but effective methods to dig through as quietly as possibly without disturbing them, all to see Wanda when he could. Wanda had been incredibly moved once she found out and they had been engaged right around the time he finished up the project.

It all had him thinking ''Hey Romeo, it's obvious that Julie is really important to you...'' The man nodded, his expression curious as he wondered where this was going. ''...so can you stand to never act on your feelings for her?''

Romeo stiffened as he caught on, but unable to answer. Could he just leave things as they were? What would he do if Julie found someone? He didn't know if he could take it...

''Even if there are tough obstacles in your way to a goal, even if that goal seems unreachable, that doesn't mean you should let the fear of failure stop you. Especially if the goal means so much to you, failure can be hard but you can bounce back and keep going. The important part is that you shouldn't give in.'' Wally began to smile, seeming a little embarrassed now. ''Um, at least...that's how I feel about it.''

Ash and May exchanged smiles as they noted how the words seemed to affect Romeo. Perhaps they were more effective because their friend was talking from experience. He'd never thought he could be a trainer because of his illness and while it got him down for a while, he worked to try and find a way not to let it stop him. And it just got better from there; not only had he held up well in spite of said illness, look at him now. He had certainly come a long way.

''Wally's right, remember we're here to help you.'' May stated.

Ash nodded ''We'll figure it out together. You just need a little courage, that can go a long way, especially with the performance. You and your Pokemon worked hard to get that good, it'd be a shame to let that effort go to waste.''

Romeo spared the three a grateful look ''I'll give it a try.''

May cheered ''That's the spirit!''

* * *

No one had been sure what to think when May got an idea and suddenly dragged both Ash and Romeo away. It was only when Max went after them to find out what was going on that it became clear. Max and Brock were rather skeptic of this plan working while Wally, Pikachu and Ralts were left a bit puzzled at the turnout.

What was this plan, you may ask? Well, it started out when May had them all get together near one of the docked boats. The girl was waiting with a grin nearby while Romeo approached the boat, where Julie was waiting. ''Julie, I...I want to talk you...''

Max sighed ''May's too excited for this...''

''I...ah...I've been wanting to say this for a long time...'' He went on.

May frowned when he stopped ''Go on, say it!''

''I...I can't!'' He managed.

''Yes, you can! Come on, we've worked on this!''

''B-but...''

Julie, who was actually a disguised Ash wearing clothes like hers along with a wig, finally spoke up ''How long is this going to go on?''

''Just hold on!'' May said quickly. Under her urging, Romeo tried again but he stuttered too much and in the end, just couldn't go through with it. In fact, he was so nervous that he bit his tongue, leaving them to sweatdrop.

Max groaned ''I knew we should've tried Wally's idea...''

Brock sighed ''Yeah, it would've been a better option. But with May this worked up, stopping her is really hard. Why do you think Ash went along with this?''

Wally had been using Leon and Wanda as a reference again, since he knew them so well, he suggested Romeo getting Julie a present. Leon had done that when they first started going out, something that really helped with his nerves. Wanda had loved it and things had gone swimmingly at the time.

''Well, there's no point thinking like that...how do we fix this?'' Wally wondered.

May was already trying to do just that. She decided to try showing Romeo what it was like ''Here, watch.'' She cleared her throat. ''Julie, I've admired you for a long time. I've learned so much from you. But I realized my feelings go deeper than that, you're the most amazing person I know. That's why I want to be the best I can be for you-it's hard but I want to keep trying...''

Ash couldn't help but think that May was a good actress. In fact, hearing her talk with such feeling had him wonder what it would be like if this confession was for real between them...

The boy quickly shook himself, now shocked. Did he really just think that?

As it were, good confession or not, Romeo just couldn't do it. This lead to Brock taking matters into his hands and trying out his own confession. Once again, he launched into one of those flowery speeches he tried on girls he would hit on.

Trouble started when Brock really got into the role and he dashed to hug 'Julie', apparently forgetting that this one wasn't real. Ash understandably freaked out and ran away.

''Come back, my love, please!''

''You've definitely lost it, Brock! Back off!''

At first, the rest could only watched in stunned silence. May grimaced, not imagining her idea could turn out this badly. She made a mental note to make it up for Ash somehow.

Wally, feeling bad for Ash, had Ralts stop Brock with his psychic powers. Ash let out a big sigh of relief ''Thanks, guys!''

Max eyed the Pokemon breeder flatly ''Really, Brock?''

The boy laughed weakly ''My bad...sorry, Ash, I can imagine how awkward that was...'' Ash's response was to throw the wig and shoes at his face. ''...yeah, I deserved that...''

* * *

Romeo was left downhearted by that failure, leaving Ash and May to try lifting his spirits.

''Do either of you have someone you like?'' He wondered.

Ash replied negatively while May thought a bit more about her answer. She wasn't fully comfortable saying it but Romeo deserved their honesty. ''I'm...not sure yet.''

''You know, looking back, maybe I've been too focused on my journey to really think about that stuff.'' Ash said at last. ''But...now that I think about it, I might have been just as nervous as you are now if I have to come clean.''

''R-really?'' Romeo let out, surprised. Ash seemed so brave. He never imagined the boy would say that.

He nodded ''I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You really want this to work because you care about her a lot. It's just like Wally said before, you've got to try even if it seems hard. Either way, it can really pay off in the end.''

''Yup, besides, look at your Pokemon. Beato definitely didn't seem to have any problems talking to Illumise before.'' May reminded, thinking of the duo's interactions before everything got started.

''That's true...''

* * *

Julie sat with a recovered Illumise at a nearby boat, both reflecting on the day's events. ''You know, I really wish Romeo wouldn't be so nervous around me...''

That actually hurt, they were childhood friends and they had always gotten along so well. Once she'd even kissed him on the cheek and they'd just laughed about it. Now, Romeo would probably faint if she brought up that day now.

She gave a small smile as Illumise, likely sensing her sadness, gave her a worried look before hugging her. ''Thanks...''

A distant light caught their attention a moment later, coming from the lake. Julie blinked ''Is that...Volbeat?''

* * *

It was actually none other than Team Rocket, flying in their balloon. Meowth was dressed as a Volbeat, with the costume's tail being the source of the light. Meowth was shaking to get as much attention as possible.

Julie, being none the wiser, had sent Illumise to check this out. James grinned upon seeing the approaching Pokemon and quickly snagged her with a net. Julie was left confused as her Pokemon's light vanished, not sure what to make of all this.

* * *

Meanwhile...

The group decided to try Wally's suggestion after all, with Romeo being all the more interested upon hearing how the present helped Leon at the date and made Wanda happy. This brought on the subject of what the present actually should be, leaving him to mull it over before a couple of ideas came to mind.

''Hey, it sounds like you've got some good ideas. You know Julie this well, that definitely helps.'' Max offered.

''Yeah, but I really want to get this right, you know? It's bad enough that I messed things up so badly today. I have to make it up to her, Julie means so much to me. She's done a lot for me, she's a brilliant friend.'' Romeo admitted. ''I'd just be happy if it cheered her up at least...''

Julie, who had been approaching them, stopped and hid behind a tree upon realizing what they were talking about. She found herself blushing as she caught what Romeo said. As it were, she knew he cared but...he really thought of her that highly?

Her hiding wasn't about to stop Brock from noticing her though. His quick realization of Julie being here made him happy but then he realized that this could be bad and quickly warned his friends.

Romeo froze up when Julie revealed herself, wondering how much she heard.

Julie decided not to bring the matter up for the moment ''I thought that was Volbeat...Romeo, have you seen Illumise?''

He blinked ''No...not since we were at the Pokemon center. My Pokemon have all been in their balls for a while.''

''What? But then...'' Julie was alarmed, she quickly explained the situation to the others. ''...I didn't see Illumise anywhere so I thought she might be with you.''

Romeo's brow furrowed, knowing this was bad. He'd only sent his Pokemon out for the performance a while back. They were clearly missing something here.

''Not to worry, my dear! I will find Illumise!'' Brock assured.

''Oh, yeah? How?'' Max wanted to know.

This had the breeder slumping a little ''...I'm working on it...''

Romeo had an idea however ''We can have Beato and the others find Illumise's scent.''

Julie perked up ''That's a great idea!''

It was an effective one as well, for the five Pokemon had quickly been able to track Illumise's scent coming from the forest...

* * *

Beato's group led them through the forest to a path with a rushing river, flying over and pointing at the other side.

Ash's eyes narrowed ''So we're close...''

''Julie, stay back, it's dangerous.'' Romeo cautioned.

She watched, her eyes widening as he jumped between the stones poking at the surface to get to the other side. The Romeo she knew would've been really nervous to try, but now he was clearly too determined to let anything get in the way... and all for her sake...

''I'll stay with you!'' Brock volunteered.

While the offer was nice, Julie knew that she couldn't simply stay there after what Romeo just did, surprising everyone when she joined them at the other side too while Brock hurried after her. ''I appreciate you trying to look out for me but if you're going, so am I.'' She told Romeo with a smile, making him blush.

They hurried on to the clearing Beato guided them to, finding quite the odd sight waiting for them.

There were Jessie and James, dressed up as Illumise and Volbeat, respectively as they towered over Julie's Illumise, who was in a cage. It wasn't long before the trio of thieves noticed them, however.

Max looked appalled ''What're they doing?''

''That's weird even for them...'' Wally trailed off.

''I'd call it disturbing actually.'' May grimaced. Seriously, who in their right mind would dress up like that?

Jessie harrumphed ''As expected of you twerps, you have no taste. You definitely don't understand our brilliance.''

''You sure talk big as always. Wish I knew how you could say that with a straight face.'' Ash deadpanned. He definitely agreed with his friends, he always knew Team Rocket wasn't the brightest but come on!

The Kanto trainer noticed that Brock, Romeo and Julie were just as weirded out as they felt. Really, somethings you just don't want to see...

Meowth snorted ''Well, whatever. It doesn't matter what you say because we won!''

Jessie smirked ''That's right, so...Prepare for trouble!''

''And make it double!'' James added.

''To protect the world from devastation!''

''To unite all people within our nation!''

''To denounce the evils of truth and love!''

''To extend our reach to the stars above!''

''Jessie!''

''James!''

''Team Rocket makes a dash towards the speed of light!''

''Surrender now or prepare to fight!''

''Meowth, that's right!'' Meowth chimed in with Wobuffet popping up behind them.

''Now, without further ado...'' James grinned as they jumped to their balloon, activating the machine they had set up on top of the cage. The giant vacuum began to suck things with a lot of force.

Ash grabbed Pikachu before he could be taken up, with Wally doing the same to Ralts, their friends helping them holding on as they struggled against this power. The four Volbeats clung to Beato but they were soon overwhelmed and sucked into the machine, the same happening with Ash and Pikachu.

Jessie scowled upon noticing how they were stuck in the nozzle ''Lousy twerp...always getting in our way...''

Ash looked at his friends ''Romeo, do it! Beato can help now!''

Nodding, he looked at his Pokemon ''Use Quick Attack!''

The strike hit very fast, causing enough force to break the cage. This made Team Rocket angry and had them power up their machine, this time dragging Ash and Pikachu in with the four Volbeat.

An angry May sent out Swablu ''Ram that thing with Secret Power!''

Swablu let out a cry as she soared above the machine, landing with enough momentum as her body glowed, leaving visible cracks in the vacuum as a result, with it being unable to function. Seeing the Volbeat renew their efforts in escaping had Meowth attempt to stop them with help from Jessie, who had Seviper out.

''Ralts, Psybeam!''

Both were left caught off guard then, seeing the feeling Pokemon send out the multicolored ray which hit them both at once, sending them crashing back to Jessie and James.. Brock began to smile, remembering that Wally had mentioned how Ralts learned a new move just the other day.

Ash smirked as he took in the cracks ''All right, Pikachu, use Iron Tail!''

Pikachu slammed the machine with all the force he could muster, shattering it at once to Team Rocket's dismay. As Ralts helped him down, Ash had Pikachu jump and blast the machine with a Thunderbolt and thus Team Rocket crashed down.

Jessie got up, looking furious ''Like we'd lose now! Seviper, get up and finish this!''

''You too, Cacnea!'' James called, throwing a pokeball. But as usual, the affectionate grass type's first action was to hug him tightly, making him cry out in pain.

Seviper barely pulled itself up and charged at the group of Volbeat on command but then Julie took action ''Illumise, use Sweet Scent!''

This stopped the Pokemon at once, as it was dazed with the fragrant aroma. In fact, it was so effective that even James and Meowth were in a similar dazed state.

''Oh, wow...'' The first mumbled.

''Illumise sure is a beauty...'' Meowth grinned.

Jessie growled ''Seviper, move it!'' The snake shook its head, looking bewildered for a moment before it charged back in.

''Use Signal Beam together!'' Romeo called.

Beato and the other Volbeat all gathered their power and fired five beams that converged into a powerful one which caused a big burst of power, sending Team Rocket blasting off again. Max and May cheered while Illumise smiled at Beato before kissing his cheek.

May nudged Romeo ''See that?''

He nodded with a smile at the sweet scene. Brock, who also decided this would be a good time to make a move, made to walk over while holding flowers.

''Julie, I...I've been wanting to say this for a long time. I love you!''

She blushed but smiled warmly ''I thought so. I feel the same way.''

Romeo's face lit up, not even caring about the blush he was sure was on his face once she kissed his cheek, beaming at her instead.

May perked up at this while Ash and Wally smiled. Max and their Pokemon were similarly pleased, all wasting no time in congratulating them.

''It's all so sweet...'' May trailed off.

Ash and Max noticed Brock moping nearby, leaving the latter to roll his eyes ''Oh, brother...''

''Come on, there will be others.'' The former sighed.

* * *

Later that night, Julie and Romeo performed once again. Only this time it went excellently. The two guided their pokemon smoothly with the light rods, moving with poise and confidence. Illumise and the Volbeats proved this to be well founded as they flew into a synchronized dance with grace and everyone watched in awe.

''Nice to see Romeo isn't nervous anymore.'' Ash remarked.

''It's the perfect ending to this love story.'' May smiled.

''You're too obsessed about love, Sis...'' Max trailed off.

But she waved him off dismissively ''Most girls are. Anyway, Ash, would you dance with me? I liked Wally's story about Leon and Wanda. Dancing with the pokemon to this music sounds great.''

While surprised at the request, Ash didn't mind but he had no experience dancing. He did know, however, that he couldn't turn May down when she seemed this happy about it.

''Sure...'' May beamed at him and he hated to bring her mood down but this had to be said. ''...I don't really know how to dance though.''

It wasn't going to deter the girl ''That's okay, I'll show you! Just follow my lead.''

Max looked on curiously as they headed to the dance floor. Sometimes from her behavior, he was beginning to wonder about his sister's feelings regarding Ash. He was distracted from his line of thought upon noticing that they were missing someone ''Hey, where's Brock?''

Pikachu called to him and pointed to their far left, seeming unimpressed. Max instantly understood why as they could see Brock approaching Nurse Joy with flowers in hand ''Good grief...why can't he just give it a rest?''

''Let's just leave that be.'' Wally said at last. ''Anyway, you two want to check this place out? It looks like there's a whole lot of stuff to do here.''

Max smiled and nodded ''Sounds good.'' Pikachu chirped happily and jumped to Wally's arms before the three headed off.

Romeo and Julie watched hand in hand as Beato and Illumise lead the dance now. They drew a bunch of shapes in the sky, ranging from stars and flowers before they made a heart. Fireworks went off high in the air, commencing their success as they lit up the night sky. While there had been quite the trouble to make this happen, it had all worked out very well and everyone was delighted with the end result. Particularly the new couple, who were happy as they could be.

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope this was good. I've been wondering how to use this episode for a while but there we go, writing it was pretty fun._

 _Just to make things clear, May isn't quite sure how she feels about Ash just yet but she does admire him and he taught her a lot so far. As mentioned above, Ash hadn't really thought romance just yet but just give it all time. I'm going to work through things and make sure they get together._

 _I think I had a suggestion a while back about having them catch a Volbeat and Illumise but while it was tempting, I just wasn't feeling it. Besides, I couldn't fit that in here. I have another pair of pokemon in mind when it comes to Ash and May that are going to get together down the line. But they still come in later, only one of them is a canon pokemon though. That's all I'm going to say on the matter._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Happy new year!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Advance shipper: Thanks, glad you like it. The dance idea was just something that came to me when I was working on the chapter so I figured why not? The new pokemon really is nice and it's interesting to see what Galar is all about. It'd be great if they have Ash reunite with some of his old friends. And I totally agree that gen 7's design of Ash is just plain lousy, the previous generations are so much better. They really just made Ash like a big kid, which like you said is pretty disappointing after the Kalos season. I tried watching the Alola season at first but besides some select episodes, it just wound up being disappointing for me so I gave up._

 _My favorite generations from the anime would have to be gen 6, then gen 4 and gen 3. Gen 8 is looking pretty good so far. To be honest, the games sort of influenced my choice too. For instance, I might not have started this story if I hadn't played Alpha Sapphire after all, it was fun._

 _Doc oc 102: Thanks a lot! It might be a bit late but I hope you're having a happy new year._

* * *

After the group sto[[ed for a short break, Wally went to the river to refill their water supply with his pokemon. Ralts held most of the bottles with his psychic powers as they came to a pause.

''Ash's already excited for the next gym...though I guess we are getting closer and closer to Lavaridge town.'' Wally remarked. Ralts looked just as amused as he felt about this but Electrike rolled his eyes. The boy picked up the last of the bottles once they were full. ''Anyway, are...''

Both pokemon looked back at him, curious at the sudden pause, noticing that Wally was staring up ahead. It made them see that the boy was staring on in surprise at an unconscious Feebas lying near the river not too far away from them. The three quickly hurried over and Wally picked the pokemon up, frowning as he noted how bad off it was. He quickly took up some of the medicine he had in his bag and began applying them.

He exhaled after a short while ''...That should do it. Wonder what happened...?''

After a moment of thought, Wally decided to take Feebas along with them so Brock could check up on it. But he didn't get far as the water type wound up awakening a short while later, its eyes widening as if in panic almost at once.

''H-hey, slow down-it's okay, no one's going to hurt you!'' Wally said quickly.

Feebas glanced back at him, the wariness in its eyes clear even as Ralts and Electrike tried to offer similar reassurances. But it was quickly proven no good as the pokemon tackled Wally and jumped to the river, evading Ralts and Electrike before swimming away.

The duo glanced at their trainer, at a loss of what to do. Wally bit his lip ''Well...I guess things would be okay now. If Feebas refuses to stay, there's not much we can do about it. Let's go back.''

He couldn't help but wonder though, just what on earth happened to that pokemon?

* * *

When they found their friends, the first thing to note was that Ash was apparently battling a trainer with Max watching nearby. The boy had a Swellow out on the field while Ash used Corphish. The match seemed even at first but it quickly become apparent that Swellow had the upper hand, thanks in a good part to speed. In the end, Corphish was knocked out and Ash sent out Pikachu.

Max saw the three walking over ''Oh, you're back! Ash just up and decided to battle this guy. He's really good, his Electrode sure gave Ash a hard time.''

Sure enough, Pikachu managed to take down Swellow, leading the flying type's trainer to return it and send out an Alakazam. That was when the match really got heated and it became clear that Alakazam was stronger than both Swellow and Electrode. Both pokemon were strong and experienced, Ash tried to find a work around for Alakazam's psychic abilities that kept getting in their way as his opponent made full use of them in a number of ways. Examples included teleporting and diverting Pikachu's Thunderbolt and making him freeze in mid-air before he could land an Iron Tail and throwing him down. In the end, it was Alakazam who won.

Ash took the loss well enough, thanking Pikachu for all the hard work before he walked up to his opponent. The boy who had introduced himself as Vito Winstrate earlier looked at him and smiled ''You're really good, I haven't had a match like this in a while.''

''Thanks, so are you. Alakazam was pretty impressive.'' Ash remarked, the pokemon nodded in thanks with a grunt as the others joined them. ''You guys looked like you work well together.''

''Well, I should hope so. He was my first pokemon.'' Vito admitted. ''When first set out, my dream was to win the Hoenn League. But man looking back, it feels like it's been a long time now.''

''Really? How long have you been a trainer?'' Max wanted to know.

''Almost two years now.'' The boy returned.

''Cool! So are you going for the Hoenn League?''

''Ah...'' Vito's expression faltered. ''...I was, but...''

He was distracted by a growling sound that made him, Wally and Max look for the source until they noticed a sheepish Ash laying a hand on his stomach.

Max rolled his eyes ''Oh, brother...''

Ash laughed weakly ''How about we go see if Brock's done with lunch? You should come with us, Vito!''

* * *

As it just so happened, the breeder had just about finished by the time the boys found him and May. Thus, Vito was invited to join them and they all sat down to eat and talk among themselves.

''So hey, you were going to say something about the league before...'' Ash recalled.

''Oh yeah...'' Vito acknowledged. ''...I was actually in the last Hoenn League. I made it to the top 8. But after I lost, I decided to take some time to reflect and train.''

''You made it that far? That's great!''

The boy just laughed a bit ''We just did our best. The time I spent training wound up helping a whole lot, now I know for sure things can't stay this way...'' Seeing the confusion this drew, he quickly added. ''...I've just been thinking a lot of things over.''

Thinking the mood was beginning to turn awkward, May decided to change the subject ''I've been meaning to ask, I heard about this area back in the pokemon center. It looked like a bunch of people come here. Vito, do you know anything about it?''

Vito looked puzzled ''Well, I used to live around here but I can't say...'' He paused as a thought occurred to him. ''...wait, what exactly did you hear, May?''

The girl tried to think back ''Not much, really...something about a well-known family.''

He sighed ''I should've known...''

''So you figured what May's talking about?'' Brock clarified.

''Yeah, that's probably my family. See, for years we've trained to be proficient in pokemon battles. I'm not sure how it started but my family gets challenged by trainers who pass through here regularly.''

Ash looked intrigued ''Can you take us there? I want to try it out.''

''Figures.'' Max muttered.

May nodded ''Typical Ash...'' The girl raised an eye upon noticing Vito's hesitant expression. ''...don't you want to go?''

''Ah, yeah...I guess...I've been procrastinating...''

''Why? Don't you get along with them?''

''No, no-they're great people...It's just that something happened over the time we were training and it made things...change. I don't know how they'd take it.'' The boy said after a moment.

Max blinked ''How come?''

''Well...'' Vito exhaled, deciding to explain. ''...see, after the league, I was pretty lost and disappointed in myself. After a while, before I knew it, I was getting cocky. I mean, we'd been training for so long...I didn't know if it was because I couldn't win or something but the league just didn't seem as important after a while. I continued traveling...around then I heard of a bunch of trainers and pokemon who were trapped in a boat during this big storm. No one knew what to do and I wanted to help-people told me it was too dangerous and looking at that storm...'' He shook his head. ''...but there was this one guy, he didn't care what anyone said and just went for it. It was amazing, even with things that hard he didn't let it stop him so I decided to help. It was hard but we made it and got everyone through safely. The pokemon even pulled through together in the end.''

''It all sounds amazing.'' Brock remarked.

''It really was...pretty inspiring...but none of it would have happened if he hadn't been there.'' Vito mused. ''So I went to talk to him, turns out he's actually a pokemon ranger. I asked him what it was like and...well, we wound up talking about a bunch of things. He actually gave me some pretty good advice in the end. I've been thinking a lot...it wasn't a decision I reached easily but...I really want to be a pokemon ranger, much more than I wanted to be a trainer.''

''That's great...'' Wally tilted his head. ''...why do you think your family won't take your decision well though?''

''Yeah, I mean there's nothing wrong with it. Rangers are pretty cool.'' Max added.

''Maybe it's just my nerves getting the better of me...I'm just worried about how they'll take it.'' Vito admitted.

''I get it. That's a big deal to you and you want them to accept that.'' May nodded.

Brock crossed his arms ''I understand your concerns but I think you need to talk to them. Whether they accept it or not, your family deserves to know the truth. This is still a big decision, Vito. I think they would understand if they see how important it is to you.''

Vito sighed but he knew the breeder was right ''I can only hope...''

''It'll be okay.'' Wally offered.

May nodded with a reassuring smile ''We can help, worse comes to worse, we'll try to convince them with you.''

''Yeah, we've got your back.'' Ash added.

Vito couldn't help but smile ''...Thanks.''

* * *

As they were approaching the Winstrate family home, Wally noted the river flowing not too far away from their path. This had him remembering Feebas. He wondered if the pokemon really was okay...

''Wally?''

He blinked and looked back at May ''Something wrong?''

''Ah, well...'' After a moment of thought, he explained about the encounter with the water type, leaving the listeners surprised and curious.

''And Feebas just left?'' Vito clarified, seeing Wally nod. ''No wonder you're worried...it does sound like something happened to cause that kind of reaction.''

''But it was really nice of you to help, at least you made sure things would be okay.'' May offered.

Ash nodded ''You did the right thing, Wally. Hey, you never know, we might run into Feebas sometime.''

''Maybe...'' Wally returned, smiling a little before they continued on their way.

It wasn't long before they reached their destination, then seeing a girl around Max's age with a Shroomish tending to the garden. The latter happened to notice the group first. The grass type's face lit up once it spotted Vito before quickly skipping over to the boy.

''Shroomish, what're you...?'' The girl's expression turned into one of surprise for a moment before she smiled brightly. ''Big brother!''

Vito smiled as the girl hugged him ''Hey, Vivi.''

Max couldn't help but watch the girl, a part of him wouldn't admit but at the moment he couldn't help but think that she was really cute. He tried to keep his expression neutral to avoid any unneeded attention as Vivi hurried inside, presumably to tell the rest of the family about Vito.

And indeed, they were soon greeted by the siblings' grandmother, Vicky Winstrate. She was just as pleased to see Vito back, proceeding to invite everyone inside.

* * *

The group was introduce to Vito and Vivi's parents, Victor and Victoria Winstrate, who had welcomed them as well. Vito took the chance to catch up with his family and Vivi was all too happy to tell him about how Vicky was training her, so now she was stronger than both their parents, to his amusement.

''Wow, you sure know a lot about pokemon!'' Vivi said, looking amazed as Max told her much of what he knew about Shroomish.

The boy laughed sheepishly, blushing a little ''A-ah, it's nothing, really...''

''Big brother was the one who gave me Shroomish.'' Vivi smiled as she picked up the pokemon. ''I've been training all my pokemon with Grandma and we're a lot stronger now-pretty soon we'll be stronger than Mom and Dad.''

Vito began to smile as their mother smiled ''Why stop there, kiddo? I bet you'll surpass us all some day.''

''Really? Yay!''

Victor chuckled, then deciding to bring up something he came to notice ''By the way, son, you certainly seem different.'' The boy gave him a curious look at this, clearly wondering how that was. ''I have this feeling that you're more mature since the last time we spoke. What've you been up to?''

''Well...''

''Ah, I thought you seemed familiar!'' Vicky's exclamation made them look over at the old woman, who was talking to Ash and the others. ''I watched the last Johto league. You did well, Ash.''

''Thanks, Ma'am. Me and my pokemon just gave it our best shot.''

''No need to thank me for saying the truth. So now the two of you are aiming for the Hoenn League?'' She asked, looking from him to Wally as they both confirmed. ''Well, best of luck to the both of you. If you keep doing your best, you're sure to do well in all your goals.''

''Thanks.'' They replied.

''Vito told us that you're a well-known family of trainers. It sounds like you get a whole bunch of challengers.'' Max remarked.

''Yes, we've come to learn and grow much over time.'' Vicky stated, she began to smile. ''Would you care to experience our prowess first hand?''

* * *

This lead to the Winstrates taking the group over to their battlefield, which was not too far from the house right beside a meadow. It was decided that Brock would battle Victor, May would face Victoria then it would be Max and Vivi's turn. And last would be Vicky, using two pokemon to battle Ash and Wally in turns. Ash offered to loan Max one of his pokemon to participate and the boy decided to choose Corphish.

''Are you sure you don't want participate, Vito?'' Vicky wanted to know.

''Yeah, I'm good. You guys have this all figured out anyway.'' The boy stated. ''Anyway, Grandma there's...something I've been meaning to talk to you all about. Something that happened during my travels.''

''Oh?'' She raised an eye.

''What's up?'' Vivi added.

''It can wait until this is over.'' Vito stated.

''Fair enough.'' Vicky nodded.

Soon, it was time to begin...

Brock went with Mudkip while Victor chose a Zigzagoon and the battle went off with a flurry. Zigzagoon proved to be a fast opponent, knowing moves like Double Team and Protect but Brock and Mudkip were doing well.

''Double Team and then Fury Swipes!'' Victor called.

''Mudkip, jump and use Water Gun on all of them!'' Brock countered.

The idea worked without a hitch and Zigzagoon was sent reeling at the unexpected counter.

Vicky smiled ''Not bad at all.''

''Yeah, way to go Brock!'' Ash called, Pikachu cheering along with him.

''I'm not done yet, Take Down!'' Victor pressed on.

Brock was ready though ''Use Protect!''

Mudkip created a green shield around him and the collision raised a cloud of dust that obscured both pokemon. When they could see again, Zigzagoon's head was poking out of one of the holes it had created earlier by using Dig.

''Good job, Zigzagoon. Use Thunderbolt and follow it up with Take Down!''

Brock froze in surprise at the call but before he knew it, Mudkip was hit with a powerful blast that left him stunned and vulnerable to Zigzagoon's consequent strike, ending the battle then and there.

''Zigzagoon actually knows Thunderbolt? Whoa...'' May blinked.

''Yeah, I don't think Brock saw it coming either.'' Max nodded. ''Still, it's just like with Dad and his pokemon. Normal type pokemon can get a wide variety of attacks with the right training.''

To his credit, Brock took the loss well, readily shaking hands with Victor as he thanked him for the battle. The man chuckled ''That's my line-you two almost had us there.''

''Ah, thanks-I never expected that Zigzagoon would know Thunderbolt.'' Brock admitted.

''It does tend to catch people off guard so I make the most of it.'' Victor returned.

May and Victoria approached them as the second spoke ''Well done, dear. It's our turn now.''

* * *

''Beautifly, take the stage!''

''Roselia, come on out!''

May stiffened a little at the sight of her opponent's pokemon, remembering the last time she faced a Roselia. Incidentally, she had also used Beautifly in that match. That line of thought naturally went to that other Roselia's trainer, Drew. Just remembering got her upset, for the boy had been condescending ever since they met. He mocked May for being a newbie at contests-sure, she messed up a bunch but that didn't mean it was all right. He must have been a newbie himself at one point, after all.

Her fists clenched, well the matchup might have been similar but she would make sure the end result would be different.

Victoria called for a Petal Dance but May had Beautifly soar out of the attack's range. When the first tried to slow the pokemon down with Stun Spore, May quickly had Beautifly keep it away by using Gust.

''May seems kind of worked up...'' Wally trailed off.

''Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen her get so...intense in a battle.'' Ash nodded, looking bewildered. They were glad to see she was doing well but this was still odd.

Similarly, Max and Brock could only wonder what happened.

''Magical Leaf, go!'' Victoria ordered.

May's eyes narrowed ''Silver Wind!''

The former gasped as Beautifly's counter easily pushed her attack away but May wasn't done.

''Beautifly, use Gust!''

Roselia was pushed back by the force of the attack. May kept up the offense by having Beautifly strike hard with a Silver Wind which knocked the pokemon out.

Victoria returned Roselia with a thanks before approaching May ''That was quite a battle, you're pretty strong.''

The girl laughed ''Thanks, I might have found a little motivation...even if I did kind of go overboard.''

''Well, I wouldn't want you holding back on me. It wouldn't be a real battle then.''

''True, true...''

Vivi looked at Max and smiled ''Well, let's have a fun battle!''

''Y-yeah...'' He returned, still flustered as both went to stand on opposite sides of the field. Vivi sent out a Numel while he had Corphish go out in return.

Now while Max would have normally felt good about having such a type advantage, for some reason he just couldn't here. After thinking it over, he knew he was worried about winning in case it would make Vivi sad or even, worse hate him. This had him whispering to Corphish ''Look, it's...uh, complicated but can you take it easy on them?''

Corphish blinked back at him but didn't seem to offer any denial, which the boy took as a good sign.

Vivi started the battle ''All right Numel, use Magnitude!''

Numel jumped up high and landed hard a moment later, creating a strong tremor that almost threw Corphish off. Max knew he had to do something ''Corphish, Bubblebeam!''

''Get out of the way with Flame Charge!''

Vivi's counter left him surprised, especially since he knew about Flame Charge's side effect of increasing the user's speed. He concluded that this was exactly what Vivi was going for when she had her pokemon use the move again to strike Corphish, who jumped out of the way. Corphish was knocked down though once Numel caught up to him.

''Oh, so she's raising Numel's speed even if the attack doesn't hit.'' May said once Brock told her about Flame Charge. ''That's handy.''

''Mmhm, it's a useful idea too. Vivi really is skilled for her age.''

''She's gotten a lot better.'' Vito noted.

''Of course, it's just like she told you before. That's the result of our training. You've been a big inspiration to her,'' Vicky informed, to his surprise.

Max knew that for all his concerns, he had really underestimated Vivi. It was something he was paying for as she dominated the match with relative ease. Corphish and Numel used Bubblebeam and Flamethrower respectively, both sent reeling from the resulting backlash.

''Use Bubblebeam again!''

''Get out of there!'' Vivi called. Numel made to do so, the increased speed coming to help it in the process.

But then, to general surprise, Corphish dashed after Numel and hit hard and true with Crabhammer. The water type followed it up with another round of the attack before blasting Numel with a Bubblebeam, finally ending the battle.

''Numel, no!'' Vivi cried.

''Hey, why did you...?'' Max's words died in his throat as he saw the upset Vivi return her pokemon before her restraint broke and she began to sob.

Great, just great. It was looking more and more like his misgivings could be proven true.

Vivi ran to her family, her mother and grandmother tried to comfort her. It seemed to help as she was calming down somewhat.

Vito exhaled ''Sis, I get that losing's upsetting but you can't act like this. It can happen to anyone, what's important is that you learn from this and get better. You did pretty good back there, especially since Numel was at such a disadvantage, you can be happy with that. No need to cry, all right?''

''O-okay...'' She sniffed, admittedly the praise made her feel a little better and more importantly, she knew Vito was right. She couldn't act like this every time she lost.

Max walked back to the others with Corphish in tow, frowning at the pokemon ''Thanks a lot...I told you to play along, why did you ignore me?''

The Ruffian pokemon merely frowned and turned his head, Ash raised an eye. He could think of one reason behind the boy's behavior. ''What, did you want to hold back on her or something?''

''W-well, that's...'' Max stuttered, clearly caught out and they figured Ash's guess was right.

''It's not like you to be that nice...'' May began to smirk. ''...then again, you were really acting different around Vivi. You were so flustered, it was kinda cute. What, you got a crush on her?''

''Wh-what?! Of course not! No way! Don't be ridiculous!''

''Me thinks the boy protests too much.'' The girl chirped, not buying it for a second.

Ash snickered while Wally and Brock appeared amused as the boy said ''That _was_ a little over the top, Max.''

''Oh, just stop it!''

''Not to worry, little guy. I'll be happy to give you some advice so as to help you with those feelings!'' Brock declared, somewhat playfully. Really, he just wanted to see Max's reaction. ''It's nothing to be embarrassed about, far from it! You can't stop trying to earn her affection. It'll really pay off in the end, trust me.''

Max blinked, not expecting that ''...You think so?''

''Ah, so you are interested!'' The breeder exclaimed, making the boy cringe as he figured he might have said too much. ''Just follow my lead, Max. You'll be fine, look at me, I never let failure stop me from pressing onwards. Perseverance is key!''

The boy looked annoyed ''Knock it off, I don't like her like that, okay?! And besides, you shouldn't be proud of that anyway. That's just why I wouldn't go asking you of all people for advice in the first place.''

Brock sighed ''...I walked right into that one, didn't I?''

May and the others laughed as she patted his shoulder ''Afraid so.''

* * *

It was time for the last battle, with Vicky's decision to face both Ash and Wally, she and the latter met at the field. She chose her Pelipper to battle while Wally went with Ralts. Things started out evenly at first but Pelipper was proving to be a tricky opponent, especially since it could fly out of Ralts' range of attack.

''Now use Water Gun!''

Wally was about to call for a Teleport but he had a thought, Pelipper didn't have much trouble simply shifting targets when they tried that before. Perhaps it was time to try a different approach...this gave him an idea.

Well, he'd seen Joanie do something similar in a way before so why not give it a try?

''Use Confusion on the water that's on the ground!''

Everyone was thrown for a loop when Ralts lifted the remnant water from Pelipper's previous attacks, creating a sphere-like shape before him.

''Good, now spread it out in front of you.'' Wally continued. The result was a makeshift shield that easily kept the Water Gun from Ralts.

''Wow!'' Vivi exclaimed.

''That's a pretty good trick.'' Vito added.

Ralts smiled, truth be told he was rather puzzled with the odd commands but decided to trust Wally and he knew it would pay off.

Wally was thinking fast, he knew another way to make use of this ''Now fire it back!''

The sphere was sent back at quite a speed, Pelipper tried to fly off but it created a sort of wave when it hit the ground, making that fail. Still, neither Pelipper nor Vicky were fazed.

''I'll have to commend you for that idea, it was great. But something like that isn't going to affect Pelipper much.'' Vicky stated.

''That's not what this is about.'' Wally returned, surprising her. ''Ralts, use Shock Wave!''

Her eyes widened in alarm as Ralts fired the attack, she quickly told Pelipper to get away but to no avail as her pokemon was struck hard and almost knocked down as a result.

''That was brilliant!'' Max smiled while Pikachu cheered.

''I'll say, water conducts electricity so he basically set them up to make sure Pelipper would get hit.'' Victoria looked on in awe. ''That's some really smart thinking there.''

''Keep it going, you guys!'' Ash called.

Vicky recovered from her shock, seeing Pelipper regain its balance ''Clever boy...I'm officially impressed. But we're not done yet!''

And indeed. For even though Ralts had scored a hard hit that affected Pelipper badly, the pokemon still kept fighting. Pelipper's Water Gun collided with Ralts' Psybeam, to little avail. Both pokemon were getting worn down and Vicky decided that she had to be fast or else they would lose.

''Use Ice beam, make sure to spread it!''

She wasn't surprised when Wally had Ralts Teleport, it was something she would've done if the roles were reversed. But it wouldn't change things now, she thought as she eyed the wall of ice Pelipper created which inadvertantly managed to trap Ralts.

''Now Supersonic!'' Vicky followed up, as she expected Ralts was unable to avoid the attack. She had a sinking suspicion that Pelipper could not keep going much longer. They would make sure to seize on this opportunity.

''Oh, man...'' May grimaced.

''Yeah...Pelipper's always tricky to deal with.'' Vivi remarked, recalling the last time she herself was caught up in such a situation.

Wally tried to get Ralts to snap out of it but it was no good. The feeling pokemon couldn't even get an attack to aim anywhere near Pelipper in the first place. Things only went worse from there, and the match was ended when Pelipper forced Ralts to stop in his tracks with Ice beam before using Wing Attack.

Vicky let out a breath and returned her pokemon to its pokeball ''Thank you, my friend. You really came through.''

Wally picked Ralts up, seeing him look up with a troubled look ''Hey, don't feel bad. You were great. Don't let this get you down. You gave it your all, that's what counts.''

''That's right.'' Vicky walked over. ''Even a loss can teach you something. You almost had us there, we probably would've lost if it hadn't been for that Supersonic. You make for quite a team, I can just tell Ralts put his faith in Wally the entire time. Isn't that right?'' Ralts perked up and nodded. ''That's the way to go. Why, looking at you two, I can tell you're just going to get better from here.''

Vito was impressed with the boy all the more, watching the exchange as Wally and Ralts thanked Vicky ''He's making sure to keep his pokemon's feelings in mind. That's really good.''

''Sure is, Wally's just that kind of guy.'' Brock stated.

Vicky gave Wally a Sitrus berry which he handed to Ralts before he headed back to the seats. The woman smiled as Ash stepped up with Pikachu ''Well, I have to say this is just getting more and more exciting. You and your friends are proving to be quite a talented group. Are you ready?''

''You bet!''

Vicky tossed a pokeball, it opened, releasing a Camerupt. The pokemon grunted and stomped fiercely, looking all set to go.

May raised an eye and held up her pokedex to scan the pokemon. It buzzed _''Camerupt, the Eruption pokemon and the evolved form of Numel. Camerupt has a volcano inside its body. Magma of 18000 degrees Fahrenheit courses through its body. Occasionally, the humps on this pokemon's back erupt, spewing the superheated magma.''_

Victor was puzzled upon seeing Ash's choice of pokemon ''Hold on, Pikachu? But that's...''

Vito felt the same as his father ''I wonder what he has in mind.''

''Pikachu, Thunderbolt!''

Ash was a little confused when Vicky issued no command in response and the attack hit. But it made sense once it became clear that Camerupt was hardly even affected. ''Wha-? But how?''

''Ash, Camerupt's a fire and ground type!'' Max called.

''That's right!'' Vicky chimed. ''Use Flamethrower!''

Ash recovered fast ''Quick Attack!''

Pikachu was able to dodge the move in time, hitting Camerupt in a moment. But the pokemon was easily able to shake this off. Vicky had it strike back by knocking Pikachu to the ground with one of its feet, before calling for Camerupt to use Earth Power.

Glowing cracks appeared around Pikachu as the earth trembled, leaving the mouse pokemon to cry out in pain. Ash grit his teeth ''Quick Attack, hurry!''

Pikachu pulled himself up and dashed, managing to get around Camerupt then.

''Good, now use Iron Tail!''

The oncoming strike nailed Camerupt on the back, now plenty more effective with the added momentum of Quick Attack.

Wally perked up ''That was good thinking.''

''Yeah, go Ash!'' May cheered along with Ralts.

''Not bad.'' Vicky acknowledged. ''Camerupt, use Sandstorm!''

Camerupt let out a battle cry, gathering power and in seconds, the field was almost obscured by the swirling winds and sand. They could see Camerupt thanks to its size but Pikachu was soon covered from view.

Given that the battle field didn't exactly leave them much room to avoid the worst of this technique, Vito sent out Alakazam to help divert the storm away from himself and the rest of the observers.

Vicky called for another Earth Power and Ash immediately had Pikachu get out of the way. With some trouble, he could make out his partner in the middle of the Sandstorm trying to do just that.

Vicky was ready though ''Strength!''

Camerupt rammed Pikachu, throwing him to the ground and its trainer had it follow up with a Flamethrower. Pikachu was able to recover with Ash's urging and thus avoid the worst of the blast. When Vicky had her pokemon adjust the Flamethrower towards the electric type, Ash countered by having Pikachu jump in good time, avoiding it.

''Iron Tail, once more!'' Ash called.

Then, Pikachu descended and slammed his opponent with the hardened tail, knocking it back as it was hit on the face.

''All right!'' Max cheered.

Vivi couldn't help but wince, having a bad feeling about this...

Camerupt pulled itself up aftew a few moments, its face now red as it glowered at Pikachu. Vivi facepalmed, knowing very well what that look meant. Similarly, Vito groaned and Alakazam shook its head in exasperation, also familiar with what was about to happen.

''Uh, what's going on?'' Max asked, they couldn't help but note something very different about Camerupt. Why was the pokemon much more fierce now?

Everyone sans the Winstrates were taken aback to see how Camerupt attacked with renewed vigor, only to be hampered by Pikachu's speed once again.

''...What's going on?'' Brock wondered.

Vito looked at Victoria ''I thought you took care of this already.''

She sighed ''We tried-you know what your grandmother's like. She was absolutely insistent on taking care it all by herself no matter how much we tried to help. I know they've been working on it but that's all. Last time I checked, she said she handled the problem.''

''Camerupt, Eruption!'' Vicky ordered.

Camerupt growled, releasing the explosive blast a second, blowing Pikachu back. In fact, it was so strong that the force of it even affected the observers.

''That's overkill!'' May cried.

''Yeah, handling it is supposed to mean that the problem's solved!'' Max added as they all got back quickly.

Ash used Camerupt's distracted state to have Pikachu nail another succesful Iron Tail. He didn't know just what was going on with their opponent but it didn't matter now, he would stay just as focused as Vicky was.

But then something strange happened when Vicky told Camerupt to attack again, the irate pokemon let out a loud cry before rushing off towards the meadow. The Eruption pokemon's flames naturally set off the meadow, threatening to trap anyone in the vicinity in a fierce fire.

''No!'' Vivi cried, her grandmother stiffening in shock at the sight. Most of the wild pokemon nearby hurried away, with few trying to help those stuck in the fire.

''Alakazam, use Rain Dance!'' Vito ordered.

The psychic type conjured a blue sphere pf energy before launching it into the air. Within seconds, clouds appeared in the sky before it began to rain. Thankfully, this was plenty good to put out the fire, much to general relief. It also seemed to calm Camerupt down to an extent as the pokemon came to a complete halt.

Victor sighed ''What a relief, thanks, you two.''

It was then that they noted the present wild pokemon eyeing them with varying amounts of wariness. They were obviously upset, which was hardly a surprise as Camerupt had not just damaged the meadow but put them all in danger.

''Hey, we don't mean any harm. This was an accident!'' Ash said quickly.

''Yeah, sorry for the trouble. Camerupt just gets carried in battle. We never would have expected something like this though.'' Vito added, Camerupt lowered its head with a grunt.

''No one's going to hurt you.'' Wally put in. ''If there's anything we can do to help make up for this, please let us know.'' The two boys beside him nodded to this. Pikachu and Ralts voiced their support as well, trying to reassure the group before them as well.

The wild pokemon seemed a little mollified at this, if not somewhat wary but it seemed they could send their sincerity. One of the Wingull on a tree branch gestured to another Wingull next to it, it didn't take them long to spot that pokemon injured wing. The first Wingull then gestured to a Lombre nearby, which had a burn on its arm.

Brock was relieved, glad that the boys got through to them. If the pokemon wanted some help, it was more than fine in his book. ''This won't be a problem.''

He and Wally proceeded to tend to the two pokemon. Within minutes, both were doing much better. This served to alleviate any remaining misgivings the wild pokemon had as Wingull and Lombre nodded in thanks before Vicky stepped up.

''I really am sorry, this was all my fault. I promise to do whatever I can to make up for it.''

The wild pokemon took her words in stride, seeming to accept the promise before retreating. Vicky looked back at the others, her eyes eventually settling on her grandson and his new friends ''You three really are impressive, I'd hate to think what would happen if you all weren't here. I'll have to make it up to them. And Ash, you're the winner of the match.''

''Wait, what?'' The Kanto trainer blurted, not expecting that at all. Pikachu looked similarly takenaback.

''Well, Camerupt was pushed to that point after you two did so well even with the disadvantage.'' She reasoned. ''But mostly importantly, this mess is the result of my mistakes a trainer. I was too cocky, thinking I could handle the problem when things worked out well enough during our previous battles. You all could have been hurt terribly because of this, I should have known better. I certainly can't consider this a win when I was faced by the better trainer.''

''Ah, thanks...if you're sure...''

''I'm sure.'' Vicky nodded. ''Besides, you three definitely get the credit for what happened here. It's the least I can do.''

''Why don't you all come have dinner with us?'' Victoria suggested. ''After this day, I think we could all take some to relax.''

''That sounds great, Mom, would you all come?'' Vivi asked with a bright smile.

May smiled back ''Sounds good.''

Everyone headed back to the Winstrate family home, happily talking among themselves.

Though, if they had stayed a little longer, they might have noticed a certain pokemon observing the scene from the river.

Feebas had managed to remain hidden well enough, feeling curious about Wally. Despite what happened earlier, Feebas could tell that the boy meant well and seeing all this was effective in proving as much. The water type couldn't quite shake the apprehension though, given what happened to it before.

Biting its lip, Feebas dove in the water and swam away.

* * *

The family proceeded to invite the group to spend the night, an offer they took up gratefully. Max found to his relief that Vivi had no problem with him. In fact, they got along swimmingly. The girl was interested to hear about their travels and no one had any problem obliging her curiosity. The youngest pair's interactions though earned Max a bit of teasing from his sister and Brock, much to his annoyance.

At the same time, Vito spoke at length to Ash and Wally, the three sharing tales of their respective experiences. It was a nice time over all with both groups getting to know each other.

Then, having made his intentions clear earlier, Vito told his family about the day he met the pokemon ranger. He was a little unnerved when silence reigned after he finished the retelling but he figured his family needed time to absorb all this.

Finally, Victor cleared his throat and smiled at his eldest ''We really owe that man our gratitude then.'' He chuckled at Vito's clear surprise and added. ''Well, I can certainly see why you were inspired by someone like that.''

''Yeah, I knew pokemon rangers were cool but this guy sounds amazing!'' Vivi beamed.

Victoria gave a reassuring smile ''Vito, if you believe this is the path for you then you certainly have our support.''

Vito was very relieved by this, as the boy was about to thank them, Vivi frowned a bit ''Wait, Big brother, were you expecting everyone to give you some kind of trouble over this?''

''Actually, yeah...'' He admitted ruefully. ''...given how everyone's so big on pokemon training and all...looks like I was worried for nothing.''

''Of course you were.'' Vicky stated. ''This certainly came as a surprise but even if we all feel so strongly about training, we aren't about to begrudge someone for having a different dream. Least of all a member of our own family. I saw the way you talked back there-this dream of yours clearly put a fire in your eyes that I haven't seen in a long time. It's certainly a sight for sore eyes. You don't have a thing to worry about, we're behind you, ever step of you the way.''

''Thanks...thanks a lot!'' Even as he said it, Vito didn't think it was enough. Words couldn't express how grateful he was towards his family. It was such a relief to know that his concerns were all false and they were all so understanding. Their support was heartening. He felt more ready than ever to take the first step towards his new dream.

The others looked on in pleasant surprise, feeling happy for Vito. They knew by now that the Winstrates were a close-knit family. Vito clearly cared about them a great deal and it made his apprehension earlier all the more understandable. He was concerned about having anything come between them. But watching their interactions now as they thanked Vito for telling them and encouraging him to go forward with this decision was sweet.

''Now that's what a family should be like.'' Brock stated.

''Yeah, good for Vito.'' Max grinned.

''Watching this makes me miss my family, I want to talk to them.'' Wally admitted.

''What do you know, I was thinking the same thing.'' May smiled.

Ash chuckled as he thought of his family, understanding where they were coming from. For this moment was a reminder of what a family really was all about.

* * *

 _And let's stop here._

 _Well, I hope this was good. I kept rethinking this chapter a bunch of times-nothing felt right, not until I came up with this. I remember they say in canon that Vito's an accomplished trainer but he doesn't even show up anymore after that one episode and I remember we get to battle him in the games. I thought I could use his character in a different way._

 _I intended on introducing Feebas in a different way but this idea just occured to me when I was working on this chapter and it felt much better. There's a good reason Feebas wound up this way and it's going to be revealed soon as I intend for Feebas to appear again soon. Wally caught its attention and you'll see what comes of that in due time._

 _Well, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Mario 64: I'm not saying all of gen 7 is bad but I just think it could've been a lot better than this. But you're right, the Alola League turned out good and it's really nice to see Ash become the champion. Though watching that made me think back, one thing I never understood is that Ash technically is a champion seeing as he beat the Orange League and hardly anybody seems to consider that._

 _I've seen the two episodes of Twilight Wings, it's pretty interesting. I do have a couple of other pokemon stories, one I'm sort of on the fence about. But the one I'm sure of is one set in Unova. I've been asked about making a Galar story before and I will admit the idea sounds cool but I need much more info about the region to actually get started on this._

 _I don't remember when Sword and Shield was released but it's still kind of new, right? At least to some people. No surprise there wouldn't be much stories out there yet. Thanks for the idea, I appreciate it and thanks for reading, glad you liked the chapter. Nothing's set in stone yet, I could make a story about the Galar region down the line._

 _Advance Shipper: Thanks! I'm glad you're still reading this. The episode about Dragonite was a nice surprise. The Galar season looks cool so far, I like the episodes involving Leon too. And just like I mentioned above, I might make a story about Ash and some of his friends traveling to Galar but that will be on that until I can learn as much as possible about the region for one thing. I'm interested in seeing a story about the region where Ash acts with his prior experience. You know, using what he learned through his travels and bringing back his older pokemon. It doesn't seem like that would happen in the anime. I'm pretty sure he released Naganadel (his ultra beast) after they visited its home so I don't see how bringing it back would work. I have to say it would be great to see Greninja again though._

 _Yeah, having an experienced Ash go up against Leon would be interesting. I appreciate you sharing the idea with me but I'll have to think about it for now. I'll see what I can do about the Ash and May moments, but I'm mainly using them when it feels right. I'll work through things eventually._

* * *

The group was getting closer to Fallarbor, now they were on a mountainous area near Mt. Chimney. When they had been about to enter a new route, they ran into a wild Machop that seemed raring to battle. Intrigued by the pokemon, Ash decided to catch it and thus sent out Treecko.

May stared as both pokemon clashed once more ''Whoa...''

Machop was a clearly brave and spirited pokemon. Its attacks were fierce and quick, its grin proved that it was enjoying the battle. No one missed that Ash was similarly entertained.

''Looks like they're two peas in a pod.'' She remarked.

''Yeah...'' Max sighed. ''...someone else with Ash's crazy drive. That's just g _reat.''_

''Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!'' Ash demanded, noticing his tone.

''You should focus, Machop's coming in.'' Wally reminded while May scolded her brother.

Ash cringed while Pikachu and Treecko gave him exasperated looks ''Right! Treecko dodge with Quick Attack and then use Slam!''

The wood gecko pokemon was able to Machop's oncoming strike with relative ease, using the momentum from Quick Attack for an extra powerful Slam that knocked Machop down. He proceeded to finish the fight with a well-timed Bullet Seed and Ash quickly tossed out a pokeball.

It shook for a few moments before finally stopping, proving the capture to be a success.

''All right!'' Ash grinned as he picked it up. ''I caught a Machop!''

''Nice going.'' Brock smiled. ''Max's comments aside-I get the feeling you two are going to get along well.''

''Hehe, yeah...''

Pikachu called out to the two, startling them as he pointed to a high boulder where a pokemon neither boy was familiar with was staring at them. Ash blinked ''What's that...?''

''It's a Bagon...'' Wally replied, looking curious as he wondered just why the pokemon would be all the way there.

''Bagon, huh?'' Ash held up his pokedex and scanned the dragon type.

 _''Bagon, the Rock Head pokemon. Bagon has a dream of one day soaring in the sky. In doomed efforts to fly, this Pokemon hurls itself off cliffs. As a result of its dives, its head has grown tough and as hard as tempered steel.''_ The device buzzed.

Wally blinked ''Wait, it throws itself off cliffs to fly? So then...?''

''...I don't think it's insane enough to do that.'' Brock stated, though he sounded a little unnerved.

Bagon soon proved him wrong as it jumped off the boulder with no hesitation, leaving them shocked. Bagon flailed around in mid-air but soon knew that it was no good and plummeted into a big rock, destroying it with ease.

''Whoa, it doesn't even have a scratch...'' May was admittedlly relieved to know as much but this still came as surprise. How could Bagon brush a fall like that off so easily?

Before they quite knew it, a girl with purple hair wearing high tech shades leaped behind Bagon. ''There you are!'' The dragon type glanced at her as she sighed. ''I've been looking all over for you.''

''So it's yours?'' Max clarified.

The girl made to respond but she never had the chance as Brock dashed in and knelt before her. She was bewildered when he began flirting but his friends seemed exasperated, making her wonder if this was a usual occurrence.

''So what is your name, my love?'' He asked.

''Ah, it's Michelle...'' She replied nervously.

''Even your name is pretty!''

''Would you give it a rest?!'' Max snapped.

May cleared her throat and introduced herself and the others ''Sorry about Brock, just feel free to ignore him.''

Both girls were distracted when Bagon ran to a cliff and jumped again. Ash hurried to catch it but Bagon crashed in front of him before Michelle caught him with a smile as the pokemon grunted happily.

''Nice catch!'' May exclaimed.

''What's the deal with those goggles?'' Max wanted to know.

Michelle took them off ''They're a sort of special computer that helps me in battle. They measure speed and distance, I tracked Bagon's movements with them. They help us in battle too.''

Max looked enthralled ''Cool!''

''You looked like you were pretty used to what Bagon was doing. Does it happen a lot?'' Ash wanted to know.

Michelle nodded ''All Bagon dream of soaring through the skies. Bagon doesn't know he can't fly so it'll keep trying to do so.''

''Sounds like a great dream.'' Ash smiled.

Max seemed unimpressed ''I don't know, it seems dumb to me...Bagon won't be able to in the end.''

May shushed him and Brock crossed his arms ''I think I heard that Bagon evolve into Shelgon and then Salamence. Wouldn't that be the way to fulfill his dream?''

''It is. That's why I'm trying to help Bagon reach the level to evolve but he needs a lot of experience.'' Michelle replied. ''Which is why I'd like to ask, would any of you like to battle us?''

''I do!'' Ash exclaimed.

* * *

''I can't wait to see those shades in action.'' Max enthused as both Ash and Michelle stood on opposite sides of the field. Ash chose Pikachu while Michelle naturally went with Bagon. Brock was the referee while the rest watched from the sidelines. ''It'll be really interesting to see how this goes down.''

''I know you like battles and all but why are you so excited for this one?'' May wanted to know.

''Well, Bagon's a dragon type. They can be pretty rare, so I'd like to see how he battles.''

''Pikachu, Quick Attack!'' Ash called once Brock signaled to begin.

Michelle analysed the mouse pokemon with her shades ''Bagon, Pikachu's coming in fast. Brace yourself.''

Bagon nodded and stayed put, Pikachu smashed into his head a moment later. May blinked ''Why didn't they do anything?''

''Well, who knows? This is off to a decent start with Ash.'' Max stated.

But Wally was frowning ''...That might have been a mistake.''

The siblings looked at him in surprise but then Pikachu was sent flying as a shockwave surged through him from the impact. Both realized that their friend was right as they watched Pikachu wince and hold his head while Bagon appeared unfazed.

''How did Pikachu get hurt from that?'' May wondered.

''That probably didn't amount to much for Bagon. He went through those rocks like they were nothing, remember?'' Wally pointed out.

''Yeah, I forgot that Bagon has the Rock Head ability. That gives him some really good defense and offense when it comes to physical attacs.'' Max added.

Michelle analyzed the situation and then spoke ''Bagon, use Headbutt!''

Her pokemon sped up towards Pikachu, who hurried to dodge but Michelle had him alter his direction. It was only Pikachu's fast reflexes that let him dodge the attack and they watched as Bagon destroyed a rock with ease. Ash had Pikachu use Thunderbolt in turn but Michelle ensured Bagon could dodge quickly, taking the chance to have her pokemon nail an effective Headbutt then.

Michelle analyzed Pikachu as his trainer called out in concern ''Pikachu put a courageous battle but it's over.''

The electric type quickly proved her wrong though, as he was able to pull himself back up. If anything, he looked more ready to battle, leaving her shocked. ''Pikachu actually withstood Bagon's Headbutt...?''

''Way to go, buddy! Use Quick Attack!''

''Counter with Headbutt!''

The pokemon collided and an explosion of electricity ensued, it blinded everyone so they missed that Pikachu had changed directions at the last second to strike Bagon's side. The result sent Bagon crashing down.

''Bagon, get up, please!'' Michelle called.

The rock head pokemon did so, to her relief. She ordered it to use Headbutt again, though Ash only told Pikachu to wait. But then it made sense when the mouse pokemon dodged at Ash's call, having waited until just the right time.

''Thunderbolt!''

''Jump and use Headbutt!''

The jump allowed Bagon to dodge the blast and he came down for a Headbutt but Ash had Pikachu use Iron Tail in response. The resulting clash sends pokemon reeling but they gathered themselves and glared challengingly at each other.

''Good going, Pikachu! Keep it up!'' Ash smirked while Michelle appeared troubled.

The next thing they knew, the wind around the field grew stronger and a shadow drew closer to the field. Everyone looked up to find Team Rocket flying in a helicopter, the sight made Ash scowl. ''You again?!''

The trio laughed and started their motto. Jessie pressed a switch on a remote control and then Meowth was launched from the helicopter wearing a jet pack. It seemed as the scratch cat pokemon was targeting Pikachu but before they knew it, he grabbed someone else.

''Bagon!'' Michelle cried.

Meowth laughed as the surprised dragon type flailed in his grasp. James laughed ''That's the way!''

''You won't be laughing for long!'' Brock sent out Lombre and had him bombard their helicopter with Razor Leaf. The attack wound up rocking the vehicle and Jessie dropped the jet pack's remote control in the midst of it all. The jet pack made an odd sound as the remote was damaged and it began flying erratically.

''Whoa, hey!'' Meowth yelped in alarm.

Thinking fast, Wally called out Ralts and tried to have the feeling pokemon stop the out of control device. But that was to no avail as the device's random flight lead to it soaring out of Ralts' range and before they knew it, Bagon and Meowth were gone.

''Oh, no...'' Michelle bit her lip.

''I'm sorry! I should've thought things through!'' Brock wailed.

''You couldn't have known that would happen, Brock.'' The girl said kindly, activating her shades. ''It's best not to dwell on this, I'm going to find Bagon.''

''We'll help you.'' May declared and the others nodded.

''We've got a good way to start us off too.'' Ash added as he, Pikachu and Wally looked at Ralts.

''Oh, yeah! Ralts, you can help track them down with his powers, right?'' Max asked, recalling how the pokemon had figured out the truth about Timmy easily. If the feeling pokemon had been able to get a read on the boy in his first appearance at the Phantom, this should work well.

Ralts nodded, giving them a reassuring smile. Michelle looked relieved ''Thank you! How about we start with the direction that thing took off to?''

* * *

''Ahhh! How do I stop this thing?!'' Meowth freaked as the jet pack still kept going. But he knew they had no way of escaping this predicament.

On the other hand, Bagon appeared thrilled that he was actually flying. The rock head pokemon ws very much enjoying the entire spectacle.

Both pokemon turned as the helicopter appeared again and Jessie's voice called out ''Meowth, we set up a net just ahead so go there!''

The scratch cat pokemon appeared touched ''You came to save me...''

Just as he managed to make the device approach said net, the jet pack suddenly flew them down to a forest below. Both pokemon crashed down and slammed into a tree. Meowth stumbled and fell down, dazed while Bagon was just fine.

* * *

It had taken some effort since the pokemon wound up flying that far but Ralts had gotten a feel of Bagon's mind earlier. This helped him lock onto the dragon type's signature and point the group in the right direction, thus leaving them to hurry to the forest.

''Ash, do you mind if I ask how you taught Pikachu to dodge like that?'' Michelle inquired, unable to hold off her curiosity longer.

''It's something we've worked on back when we were on Dewford Island. I actually got the idea from Brawly.''

''I see...it certainly is effective. I don't know if I could pull something like this off without the shades.'' She admitted, her hand touching the item in question.

''Doesn't that mean you might be relying on them too much?'' May asked, surprising the other girl. ''Well, I was just thinking-Ash's a pretty good trainer but he made sure to work hard to learn that strategy. I've learned a lot from him and I still am. Like how amazing pokemon really can be. And that if we work hard and don't give up, we can reach our goals. He's the proof.''

Ash had to admit, he was touched. He didn't think he had that much of an impression on her but that was really nice to hear. ''Gee, thanks May.''

The brunet smiled ''It's just true.'' She looked back at Michelle. ''Even if you don't see yourself learning it, that doesn't mean you can't. I bet you wouldn't even know the shades to make it all work out.''

Michelle seemed thoughtful ''...Maybe you're right...''

Meowth stared as Bagon happily picked up the jet pack, barely noting that Jessie and James had caught up with them. ''You like it that much?''

Bagon nodded and proceeded to explain how much he wanted to fly. How he yearned for the dream, to be able to soar through the skies, it held a special sort of power to Bagon, presenting a sort of freedom which the dragon type coveted.

''Oh, wow...'' Meowth's eyes shone, moved by the pokemon's passion. He was dismayed that even after telling his teammates, neither cared much.

Irked, he wound up scratching both their faces. ''You idiots don't get it! I know what that feels like, I wanted to fly for a long time too!''

Bagon seemed intrigued by this and the two quickly fell into a discussion about the apparent similarity between them, to Jessie and James' annoyance.

''Quit wasting time!'' The first snapped.

''That ain't wasting time!'' Meowth harrumphed. ''Shows what you know...anyway, it'll be a win-win deal. When we get Bagon back to the boss, he won't go hungry since he'd have all the coconuts he wants in his private jet. Everyone's happy! He'll give us a raise too!''

Both appeared intrigued by the suggestion but before they could think much on it, the trio noted Bagon perk up and run to their left. They were alarmed as they realized that Bagon had noticed their enemies running over first, immediately heading to his trainer.

''Stop!'' James called but Bagon simply tuned him out and stopped before Michelle, who picked him up.

''Are you okay?'' She smiled when the rock head pokemon nodded and held up the jet pack, as if wanting to show it to her.

''You give our prize back right now!'' Jessie snapped, growling when Michelle tightened her hold on her pokemon with a glare.

''Get over yourselves!'' May retorted.

''Yeah, you're not getting a thing!'' Ash added.

''Oh yeah?!'' James went on to launch a claw from the helicopter as they flew the vehicle, aiming at Pikachu.

''Ralts, use Psybeam!'' Wally called, the blast immediately struck the claw and destroyed it, to the evil trio's chagrin.

''Thanks, you guys.'' Ash and Pikachu smiled at the duo, who did the same in return.

''I've had it with you twerps!'' Jessie launched a pokeball and Seviper came out.

''Same here, you're not going to win!'' James added, sending out Cacnea. Of course, this was a decision he quickly regretted as the pokemon was quick to administer its affectionate nature with the usual hug, making him cry out in pain.

Michelle was surprised to see that her pokemon had strapped the jet pack on but decided to make the most of it as Seviper came at him from up above on Jessie's command. Glad that they had kept the remote control when they came across it earlier, the girl used it to have Bagon get out of the pokemon's way with ease. This let Brock have Lombre strike the poison type with Water Gun, leaving it stunned.

''Pull yourself together!'' Jessie screeched.

''Cacnea, use Sandstorm!'' James called.

''Stop it right there, Ralts!'' Wally countered. Before either of them could react, Cacnea was lifted into the air via Ralts' powers and hurtled back at its trainer.

''Bagon, use Headbutt!'' Michelle ordered, manipulating the jet pack again. Bagon readily angled his head as his trainer sent him flying at Seviper, the force of the strike sent the dazed snake into its comrades, knocking them all down.

''Pikachu, Thunderbolt now!'' Ash called. The electric type hit their adversaries a second later, sending them blasting off again.

''Heh for once, Team Rocket was good for something.'' Max smiled as they watched Bagon soar above them, happy as can be.

Michelle nodded, looking pleased. It was nice that Bagon's goal was finally fulfilled and seeing how her pokemon was having the time of his life only made it that much better. He was even having fun letting Pikachu and Ralts fly with him and they were clearly having a blast.

Wally picked Ralts up once the three pokemon landed ''You sure looked like you were having fun.'' Ralts beamed and called out in thanks to Bagon, who grinned before rushing to his own trainer.

''You did it, you're really flying! That feels pretty great, huh?'' Her smile widened when Bagon happily nodded.

But then, the dragon type began glowing, much to everyone's surprise. He jumped away from Michelle's embrace and the jet pack fell off once it grew in size, becoming almost half Michelle's height as the light faded to reveal a Shelgon.

''Bagon evolved into Shelgon!'' Max enthused.

''That's great!'' May smiled.

A delighted Michelle hugged her new pokemon ''You're one step closer to flying without the jet pack, that's excellent!''

Pikachu and Ralts went on to congratulate the pokemon, who nodded back in thanks. Just one more step to truly reach his goal, Shelgon couldn't wait.

* * *

Since it was almost night time, the group agreed to settle in the forest for the day and invited Michelle and Shelgon to join them.

''Mm...'' Michelle smiled as she finished the food Brock had prepared for her. ''...you guys were right about Brock's cooking, it's great.''

''Isn't it? He really comes through for us, big time.'' May remarked.

''True...just make sure he doesn't hear that, Michelle. Next thing you know, he'd probably start proposing.'' Max joked, making the others laugh.

Ash had taken the opportunity to start getting to know Machop, eventually asking to see his moves in action. The fighting type had no problem with that request, proving his power as he cleared any obstacles before him with ease.

''Nice, you're pretty tough!'' Ash praised, leaving Machop to grin back. ''So we're working hard to get the Hoenn league, soon enough we'll be challenging the next gym leader...'' Machop's confusion wasn't lost on his new trainer, making the boy add. ''...they're really tough trainers who we have to challenge to advance. Then they give us badges as proof of victory, see?'' He held up his badge case, Machop's eyes widened at the sight. ''So, you up for giving it a try?''

Machop's grin returned as he gave an affirmative grunt. Ash smiled ''It's settled then, good to have you on the team, Machop!''

Brock smiled as the new addition to their group shared a high-five with Pikachu ''Well, they're sure off to a good start.''

Wally was brushing Electrike's fur, Michelle quickly saw how content the lightning pokemon was as he rested on the green haired boy's lap. ''No wonder you're all so close to your pokemon, you must take really good care of them.''

''Well, we try.'' Wally returned. ''It's like May said, we learned plenty from Ash, Brock too. Our pokemon are important partners, so we have to care for them to the best of our ability.''

May smiled ''I agree.''

''So do I. It's the least we can do after all.'' Michelle added, glancing over at Shelgon with a smile of her own.

''Such a caring trainer-I knew you would understand, Michelle!'' Brock exclaimed, jumping very close to the girl. ''You're great! If you'd like, we can take some time off and discuss how to go about it! I'd be more than glad to help you with Shelgon. Would you please...?''

''Okay...'' Max grabbed his ear and began pulling him away. ''...personal space, Brock. You're making her uncomforable! We're supposed to be relaxing!''

''Of course that had to happen...'' May trailed off, shaking her head in exasperation. Why was it that only Max seemed able to cut the breeder's consistent attempts at flirting anyway?

''Yeah, go figure...'' Ash looked back at Michelle. ''...so, I was thinking, can we battle again in the morning? I want to see what Shelgon's like now.''

''Hey, hold on, Ash! I want to try too!'' May said, to his surprise. ''I asked her for a battle before, I want to get some practice in with Swablu.''

''She did.'' Michelle affirmed. ''But to answer your question, I'd be happy to battle again...Also, I have to admit, I'm curious to know what it'd be like to face you and Ralts, Wally. What do you say?''

The boy smiled ''Sure, that sounds like fun.''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. I've stopped to deliberate on my plans for this story and some are still up in the air, but I'll keep at it till I figure everything out. I sort of have an idea of what I want the next two chapters to be like. It's close to Mt. Chimney now so I think I'll be introducing Team Magma and Team Aqua into the story, but it'll be a little different than canon._

 _It's kind of frustrating, I have an idea in general of how I want to handle them but I'm still not sure what to do about Zinnia. I'm definitely going to include her, it's just that I'm still trying to decide when would we best, considering her overall role in the story. I've taken elements from Alpha Sapphire as it has been the inspiration behind me starting this story to begin with but I keep wondering if I should have her take the general route or deal with things differently somehow. Well, either way, I think I'll be introducing her in a while._

 _Hah, sorry, I needed to get that off my chest. Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up. Reviews will be very much appreciated. Till next time!_


	18. Chapter 18

_Guest: Oh, so that's when it came out-well, thanks. Glad you love the story. Doing a story about the gang traveling to Galar sounds fun. I'm still learning about the region and games as I go along so I'll see what I can make of it._

 _Advance Shipper: Yeah, the Gen 8 episodes are looking pretty cool so far. I can't wait to see what else they're going to do. It's all so interesting, I'm especially curious to see what they're going to do about Go and Raboot. I thought Ash was going to Galar soon but the next episode preview mentions something about him entering the World Championships and I'm pretty sure that the highlight of it is in the Vermillion Gym. About the Galar story, nothing's set in stone yet but I'll be able to give you guys a definite answer later on. For now, I want to learn as much as I can about Galar and go on from there. As for the female rival thing, I want to try having Zinnia be one of Ash's rivals. Her team seems cool and I think she's one of the few Dragon type specialists in Hoenn so it'd be interesting. I appreciate your suggestion but I can't see Zinnia being that open about her goal with just anyone. Heck, until the Delta Episode, she was determined to take care of it all on her own so it's kind of hard to imagine. I don't know about her having a crush on Ash-it depends on how I can work her into the story, which I'm still deliberating. But I like the idea of having her travel with the gang, even if for a short while. It can make things fun._

 _As always, thanks for reading and I like hearing from you. I'm glad you're enjoying the story._

 _Doc oc 102: Thanks, I appreciate the advice. For a while, I thought I'd introduce Zinnia in this chapter but nah, it just doesn't seem right. That's just why it was frustrating. So I'll have to think it over-no sense rushing things._

 _Guest: Thanks a bunch! Yeah, the Galar season does bring up a bunch of possiblities and it makes things all the more interesting. I like Ash's design from Gen 1 to Gen 6 too, though 6 is my favorite, the others were good too. Believe me I know exactly how you feel when it comes to Gen 7. I was pretty weirded out too at first, it kind of felt like they sometimes really went overboard with the comedy. It's kind of a shame because while the games seem really interesting, the anime does have its moments (The Alola League was definitely among the best parts) But to me, it just seems like it falls flat sometimes. I wish I understand why they would make those lousy designs in the first place._

 _Well, like I mentioned before, I don't have an answer yet when it comes to the Galar story. I don't want to jump into anything unprepared so I'll see what I can make of it. I do appreciate that you shared your ideas though, they can definitely help._

* * *

''Ash, would you slow down already?'' An exasperated May demanded. ''You've been in such a rush all morning-it's really getting old.''

''But I can't wait! We're so close to Lavaridge, I want to get to the next gym!'' The boy returned with a grin before going ahead. All they needed to do was ride the gondolas of Mt. Chimney and they'd reach the city! He was so excited!

May sighed and her brother gave her a sympathetic look ''Don't bother-you know what he's like. Once he knew we were getting close, that was that.''

''Nothing new there...'' Brock trailed off.

May huffed in annoyance ''Honestly, he's like a little kid-the gym isn't going anywhere!''

''Good luck trying to get that through his skull.'' Max returned dryly.

''Leaving the lost causes aside...'' Brock's comment caused the siblings to snicker as he looked at Wally. ''...how're you doing? Feel up to winning that second badge?''

''I'm...not sure about winning but it feels like we're ready. Ralts and Electrike have been working really hard...'' Wally returned.

''So are you.'' Max cut in. ''Our dad believes that if a pokemon can feel that their trainer truly cares and is willing to go the extra mile for them, it gives the pokemon all the more motivation to get stronger.''

Brock smiled ''I think that's true. Trainers and their pokemon can do a lot together by working as a team, after all.''

''Yeah and you three make a great team, Wally.'' May added with a smile.

The boy smiled back ''Thanks...'' He blinked, noticing Ash up ahead near the gondola station. ''...you think something happened? He looks kind of mad.''

May looked curious herself ''Let's find out.''

* * *

It turned out Ash was just impatient because people had taken the gondola before them and they were taking a while so it wasn't back yet, leaving his friends exasperated.

''You really are like a little kid sometimes...'' Max deadpanned once they settled in the gondola and it went up. Really, it wasn't all that bad-Ash just overreacted.

Ash spared him an annoyed look ''You guys just don't get it...Wally, you wanna battle the gym leader too, right?''

''Yeah, but there's no need to be in such a rush.''

The boy deflated at the response, not missing how May and Max were nodding in agreement.

Brock seemed amused ''Well, we'll be there soon.''

''Oh yeah, does anyone know what type of gym it is?'' May asked curiously.

''Fire type.'' Wally replied, thinking back to what he learned. ''The gym leader is said to have defeated some of the Elite 4. Vito met him and his granddaughter before, they're strong.''

''Yeah, I heard something about that...'' Max nodded, recalling a remark his father made. ''...Dad knows him. The guy's apparently looking to retire and let her take over the gym.''

''Huh...'' Ash cocked his head, thinking that over. Truth be told, a part of him was disappointed that he might not be able to face the man if that was the case but he wasn't about to complain. Either way, they were looking at a promising challenge.

''So how is it that you never knew any of this when you were so raring to go, Ash?'' Max inquired, making the boy stiffen.

''Oh, Ash was too excited just thinking about the battle to consider stuff like his opponent.'' May put in with a grin.

The others couldn't help but laugh as Ash grumbled. He was unable to refute the very true statement, after all.

* * *

Little did they realize, there was a reason for the earlier trouble with the gondola...a problem at the top of Mt. Chimney.

Namely Team Magma and Team Aqua.

Team Rocket happened to discover this by chance, having been planning to ambush the group when they reached the top. Something had seemed odd, the place had been too quiet. And then Meowth happened to see a bunch of people bound in gagged in a distant area. But before they could do anything, they were surrounded by Team Magma grunts.

They were soon beaten and bound as well, forced to watch as Team Magma was conducting some sort of plan that had to do with Mt. Chimney. The strangeness started when they saw someone named Professor Cosmo working with them-he didn't have the same hostile air the lot of that group did. If anything, the man seemed more...ditzy. He was rather focused on a machine the grunts had set up, going on regarding something about a meteor and how grateful he was that Team Magma sponsored him.

Now things really weren't adding up...having seen the red clad group before, Team Rocket could only wonder just what they stood to gain by such a thing. They didn't seem like the sort to help for no reason, after all.

''What do you think they're up to?'' James cocked his head.

''No clue, but it definitely ain't good.'' Meowth pointed out.

''Who cares?! Let's get out of here!'' Jessie snapped.

''I'm all ears if you have a plan.'' James returned dryly, making her harrumph in annoyance.

He was about to go but then he noticed a helicopter approaching the area, landing near the gondola station. Before anyone really knew it, the door opened and a group of Team Aqua members hurried out...

* * *

''So this is what the top is like...'' May looked around after they left the gondola.

Ash noticed a few rocks nearby surrounded a big one which held some water which released steam ''There's hotsprings too?''

''Yeah, but not around here. I think the water's just hot because it's so close to the volcano. Lavaridge's famous for its hotsprings.'' Max informed.

May perked up ''Hey, can we try that?''

''Sure, sure...'' Ash returned, looking amused. ''...we had to find the other gondola to help us get to the route leading to the town, right?''

''Yeah, but...'' The group looked at Brock, picking up on his troubled tone. ''...doesn't this seem strange?''

Max raised an eye ''What do you mean?''

''It's almost...too quiet.'' The boy returned.

Wally blinked ''Oh...that is strange. Shouldn't there be workers around this station too?''

Brock nodded ''Not to mention the people who came up on the gondola before us-it's like there's no sight of them anywhere. I'd say they could have just left but...'' He pointed towards a window and they followed his line of sight, seeing a gondola seemingly stuck in its place. The open windows revealed that there was no one inside and they could see a bag that must have belonged to one of the people. ''...something must have happened.''

Pikachu's ears twitched as he heard some noise from outside, making him look at the door behind them. His eyes widened upon seeing a couple of Team Magma grunts there before calling out to them in warning.

''What's wrong?'' Ash looked over, stiffening in surprise. ''What's Team Magma doing here?!''

But they didn't have much time to think on this find as the grunts forced the door and rushed in with a pair of Poochyena at their side.

''Just when I thought we'd get more of Team Aqua...'' The first grunt shook his head. ''...doesn't matter, you brats are coming with us.''

Ash scowled ''I don't think so. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!''

The first grunt didn't have much to react but the second did and he had his Poochyena try to dodge only for that to quickly fail. The grunts scowled and tried to reach for their pokeballs. Brock reacted faster and sent out Lombre to make them stop in their tracs, the pokemon's consequent Water Gun made them hit the wall hard enough to knock them out.

''Isn't Team Magma one of those two new enviromentalist groups? They mentioned something about them on TV. Everyone's been saying how there's more to them than it appers...'' Wally paused, thinking back. ''...there was some talk about how Team Aqua stole something from a museum in Slateport too...''

''Iwe had to deal with those guys before. They and Team Aqua do whatever it takes to get to their goals and they don't seem to care who they hurt.''

''Yeah, we've got a big problem here.'' May added.

''What do we do now?'' Max asked the group at large, knowing they were more than likely trapped stuck with nowhere to go.

Brock crossed his arms ''We need to think carefully about where to go from here...''

* * *

Once they hammered out a plan, the group was off.

Since most of them had seen Team Magma in action, it wasn't too hard to believe that they were likely holding the missing people captive. The facts that Team Aqua was likely here (if what the grunt said was anything to go by) and that they found a few scattered items, including an ID card, lent this belief credit.

Thus, they came to agree to split up into two groups. One to try and resue the missing people, the other to remain discreet while trying to keep a lookout.

With Mudkip's help, Brock was able to get a general idea of where the people where. He went on with Max and May while Ash, Wally and Pikachu stayed behind them.

The Kanto trainer had taken time to fill Wally in of what they knew about the two teams. ''We heard they attacked the museum too-who knows what they want but it definitely can't be good.'' He finished.

Wally was about to voice his agreement when...

''Stay away!''

The three started at the cry, making them look around until they saw Professor Cosmo trying to evade a Team Aqua grunt, who was closing in on him. The man was clutching something tightly in his hand as the grunt scowled ''Look, just hand it over and I'll leave you alone.''

''No! I can't let people like you have it, there's no telling what you'd do with it!'' He retorted.

The grunt's eyes narrowed ''That's rich from someone who can't seem to figure out that they're being played! Wingull!''

Before the professor knew it, a Wingull flew in and snatched the item from him. ''No!''

The grunt made to go after his pokemon only to see it being knocked down by Pikachu's Quick Attack leaving the mouse with a chance to snatch the item, which turned out to be a rock of some sort.

''Nice work, Pikachu!'' Ash exclaimed as the pokemon gave it to him. He may not know what was going on yet but he thought they should do what they could to stop both teams. ''Use Thunderbolt!''

The consequent attack stunned both Wingull and its trainer, leaving them to collapse. Professor Cosmo hurried to them, relief clear in his expression ''Thank you!''

''No problem.'' Ash gave the rock back. ''So...what is that anyway?''

''Oh, it's a meteorite. A part of one that broke off and landed in Mt. Chimney to be exact. I was studying it while preparations were being made.'' The man stated.

''Preparations?''

''My sponsors have a plan to help improve the region and they told me this meteorite's power could help! We're just finishing up now!'' Professor Cosmo said.

The boys exchanged looks, not liking where this was going. ''Um, who are your sponsors?'' Wally asked after a moment.

The professor's response proved their worsening suspicions to be accurate.

''Team Magma. They already warned me about Team Aqua possibly interfering but we didn't think they'd do something like this-they're launching a full scale battle now.''

''You can't trust them!'' Ash exclaimed.

''Oh, you mean because of what's being said about them in the news? That's surely exaggeration, they've been so helpful to me-they can't be bad people.'' Professor Cosmo stated.

''Sir-saying stuff like they want to make Hoenn a better place sounds nice but did they ever tell you how it's going to happen?'' Wally inquired.

The man looked at him in surprise but before he could respond, they heard the Team Aqua grunt speak ''Listen to that kid, he's asking the right question. The one you should have asked before.''

Professor Cosmo bristled at his tone ''You have no right to talk-they told me what you people want to do! Your goal would hurt so many to make Hoenn what you think it should be like!''

The grunt appeared calm as the others stared at him in shock ''We've got to make sacrifices if you want to get to our goal.''

''Wait, that's nuts! How can you even do such a thing?'' Ash demanded

''Look at how many pokemon suffer because of humans and their selfish development-we're fighting for those pokemon!'' The grunt retorted. ''Besides, look at Team Magma. They took advantage of this moron so they can use the meteorite he found and make Mt. Chimney erupt!''

''W-what?!''

* * *

Around the same time...

Brock's group had succeeded in freeing the missing people, who had explained what they came to learn in all the chaos.

''They want to make the volcano erupt?!'' Max exclaimed.

''Yeah, we heard them talking after Team Aqua showed up.'' One of the workers returned. ''They said how it'd make more land so civilization grow or something like that...''

''How can they believe that? It's ridiculous!'' May frowned.

''They're a bunch of lunatics...'' Another worker shook his head with a grimace as he walked over. ''...The phones won't connect at all, I can't reach the police. What now?''

''There has to be something we can do...'' The first worker trailed off.

As it turned out, a few of Team Magma's members happened to be close by, enabling one of them to snatch the meteorite from Prof. Cosmo before taking off. Shaken as he was by the revelation, the man didn't even have time to process it before he looked at the two red clad people nearby.

''W-was that true?'' He asked shakily. ''You people helped me all along just to do this?''

''What's wrong with that?'' One of the female grunts replied with a smirk. ''You said you wanted your research to help improve Hoenn so the boss decided to make sure it would happen.''

Prof. Cosmo's eyes widened ''But I never wanted this-you can't do this!''

''I'd beg to differ, Professor Cosmo. You were such a good helper after all.'' She remarked, making him pale in horror.

Ash ground his teeth as the man sank to his knees ''Hold it!'' He hurried after the two retreating grunts, fully intent on stopping them.

He was so focused on his target that he hadn't noticed that one of them had her Mightyena out, so she proceeded to order it to attack. The pokemon lunged at Ash and Pikachu was about to meet it in mid-air, only for it to be blasted by a Shock Wave attack that threw it down hard.

This left a surprised Ash to look back at Wally, who had Ralts and Electrike out. Nodding gratefully at his friend, the boy went on, missing Wally calling for him to hold on.

Wally wasn't sure what to do. They were supposed to be keeping a lookout for their friends and the captured people after all so he felt like he couldn't just leave.

But at the same time, Ash and Pikachu were going right into the heart of all the chaos...

The boy thought fast and come to a decision. ''...Electrike, can you go and check up on the others? They should be in that small building to our left, just send us up a signal if everything's okay.'' The lightning pokemon nodded and hurried off.

* * *

Brock turned at the sound of a familiar bark, bringing his attention to Electrike as he rushed over. ''Oh, Electrike. Were you guys okay?''

''Trike.'' The pokemon nodded before looking around, seeing all the people safe. Well, it looked like everything was okay so...

He stepped back and fired a Shock Wave into the air, to signal his trainer and Ralts. Brock raised an eye ''I'm guessing Wally told you to do that?''

Electrike affirmed and May looked over in the direction he had come from, squinting. ''I think I see Wally...wait, where are Ash and Pikachu?''

''Ele...'' Electrike's eyes narrowed as he gestured to a pair of grunts from both Teams Magma and Aqua battling in the distance.

''Wait, don't tell me...'' Brock knew Ash well enough to guess what he was likely to do in such a situation. ''...he went to try and stop them?''

The pokemon nodded, May frowned worriedly ''That's too reckless!''

''Yeah, I think Wally might have gone after him.'' Brock's brow furrowed, noticing that their friend had disappeared too. Now he understood, Electrike was the way to make sure everything was fine on their end. Wally would more than likely be just as worried about Ash and Pikachu as he was them. ''We better go too.''

May's eyes narrowed ''Right!''

''Hold on...'' The two looked back to see a few of the workers coming over. ''...you kids want to help your friends, right? Count us in!''

* * *

A Crawdaunt released a Bubblebeam at a Mightyena, which jumped back to dodge, landing on a rock before blasting it with a Hyper Beam. A pair of Golbat were battling in the sky, both attacked with Air Cutters and flew off in an attempt to avoid the blasts.

A few of those strayed too close to Ash and Pikachu when they happened to run nearby, luckily they were able to duck in time.

The boy sighed ''That was too close...''

''There he is!''

He started and whirled around at the voice, seeing one of the grunts he had defeated a few minutes ago pointing what must have been two of his comrades at them.

Ash scowled as Pikachu jumped off his shoulder, his cheeks sparking with electricity as he prepared to defend his trainer. The two grunts sent out a pair of Mightyena, with one ordering it to use Bite. In return, Ash had Pikachu dodge and slam it with Iron Tail before using Thunderbolt on the other Mightyena.

When they tried to have their pokemon use Hyper Beam, Ash took advantage of the fact that Pikachu was faster to take both pokemon down with another Thunderbolt attack.

The problem came when more grunts seemed to pay attention to the altercation, and while most were occupied with Team Aqua, it could also lead to more coming at them...

* * *

Wally knew that this was dangerous, it was more than likely not a good idea but he couldn't just leave his Ash and Pikachu charging into such a situation on their own. Figuring that there had to be something he could do to help them, he went after them with Ralts. The duo were more careful, doing what they could to stay away from both Team Magma and Aqua and battling any opposition that happened to obstruct their path. The last thing they needed now was to jump into pointless battles.

They were at least able to distract a few grunts who had been going after their friends and defeat them. Knowing there could be more soon, Wally stepped back behind a big boulder and looked at his partner.

''You okay?''

Ralts nodded with a reassuring smile, which widened when his trainer gave him a Sitrus berry just to be safe.

''Can you find Ash and Pikachu?'' He wanted to know.

Ralts began sensing their friends, soon he was able to point them in the right direction...

* * *

Ash had been able to defeat the grunts and keep going, soon running into Professor Cosmo. The man was feeling horribly guilty after learning what was really going and so he really wanted to do something to stop Team Magma. He knew where the grunt who stole the meteorite was and unfortunately, she had likely given it to Team Magma's leader. Still, knowing that they needed it to get it back, the two hurried on to stop them.

But just as they saw the laser aimed at the volcano, they found a man from Team Aqua and another from Team Magma battling it out. The first was using a Cloyster while the other had a Magcargo out.

''Ash, that's guy is one of Team Magma's admins. His name's Tabitha-and I'm pretty sure that one is forom Team Aqua's admins.'' Professor Cosmo informed tersely.

The boy's eyes narrowed ''No wonder they seem so strong...'' He noticed a man with slicked back red hair working on the machine in the distance. ''...who's that guy?''

''Team Magma's leader Maxie. If he's already there...''

''We've got to hurry.'' Ash's brow furrowed. They may be really close to the machine holding the meteorite but it looked like the only way to go was through the admins though...

The two men were so focused on their battle that they didn't even seem to notice Ash or the professor. Tabitha spoke up with a cold smirk ''You're just wasting time-we've already won. Our plan will soon come to pass!''

''Not if we can help it!'' The Team Aqua Admin (whose name was Matt) retorted. ''Cloyster, Hydro Pump!''

''Hyper Beam!'' Tabitha ordered in return. He grimaced when the attacks wound up in a stalemate while Matt grinned.

''Good, do it again!''

This time Magcargo was too slow to do a thing, especially with Hyper Beam's side effect, leaving it to collapse. Tabitha returned it with a scowl as his opponent grinned.''This isn't over!'' He sent out a Mightyena.

Professor Cosmo was trying to think of what they could do to keep going ''Isn't there...'' His eyes widened. ''...oh, no...!''

Ash blinked before he proceeded to follow the man's line of sight until his eyes landed on a number of pokemon scattered around in different directions. They were mostly obscured by the steam released from the volcano and a nearby rock that held some water. It wasn't until then that he realized there actually was another path to get to the machine but it was blocked by an unconscious Graveler.

''There hasn't been anyone here besides them...I think those pokemon must have learned what was going on so they tried to intervene...'' Professor Cosmo said numbly. ''...Team Magma really doesn't care...how could I have been so blind?''

Ash barely heard him, feeling his the temper he'd been suppressing rise. This was too much-he wouldn't let them get away with this!

* * *

When Wally and Ralts caught up with their friends, it was in time to see Pikachu electrocuting a Mightyena and a Cloyster.

The trainers of said pokemon turned angrily on the teen, who called out something he couldn't quite make out before having Pikachu push Mightyena to the side with a Quick Attack and then slamming it with Iron Tail.

Professor Cosmo seemed to decide to use the distraction to keep going but his path was blocked by Cloyster's trainer, who was glowering at him. Both Admins had their pokemon attack but Pikachu stopped Mightyena with another Iron Tail. Cloyster was in the air, preparing an Icicle Crash. Wally had Ralts stop it with Psybeam.

''There's more of them?!'' Matt cried as his pokemon fainted.

Ash and the professor were just as surprised but for a different reason ''Wally...'' The first started.

''I couldn't just leave like this.'' The boy returned.

''Well, isn't that sweet?'' Tabitha drawled mockingly and they saw a grunt hurrying to him, sending out a Koffing. ''Having one or two more pests makes no difference-Mightyena, Dark Pulse!''

The grunt had his Koffing use Sludge and both attacks headed towards the four. Scowling, Matt sent out a Golduck and had it use Hydro Pump while Pikachu and Ralts fired off a Thunderbolt and Psybeam. The collision of the attacks caused an explosion that wound up blowing them all back.

As they began pulling themselves up, an unfamiliar sound reached their ears, bringing their attention to a red beam being fired into the volcano.

''There it is!'' The grunt exclaimed happily.

''N-no...'' Professor Cosmo wheezed, Ash tried to run over but he was wincing from the injuries he'd received. The boy tried to have Pikachu blast the machine with Thunder but Mightyena got in the way. As Tabitha sent out a Golbat next, the grunt had his Koffing block Ralts' Psybeam from even coming near the machine too.

''Ralts, can you do something about that machine from here? We could use all the time we can get.'' Wally stated.

After a moment of thought, the feeling pokemon nodded. It was hard since the machine was big but it helped that they were this close. Ralts proceeded to use his psychic abilities to forcefully move the machine's target to a rocky wall nearby. This brought Maxie's attention towards them and prompted Tabitha into action, quickly getting into Ash's way when the boy tried to press on their advantage before ordering his Golbat to attack them with Air Cutter.

''S-stop that, they're just kids!'' Professor Cosmo cried out desperately, watching as the attack pushed the four back.

''That's what they get for trying to interfere, Air Cutter once more!'' Tabitha called.

Ash scowled upon noticing how some of the blasts hit a few of the unconscious wild pokemon they had seen earlier. Hadn't they gone through enough? They couldn't even defend themselves!

He had Pikachu blast the pokemon with a Thunderbolt but by then it was too late to do anything about the stray Air Cutter. One blast wound up knocking a Feebas who was trying to move into the air. A few were all over the place, Ash had to duck to avoid one before it hit him while Pikachu jumped to the left to do the same. But that was when the mouse pokemon saw something that made him cry out in warning.

A few of the blasts were heading towards Wally, Ralts and the Feebas, who had also been trying to avoid the attack so they noticed this too late. Wally did the only thing he could think of at the moment, shielding the two pokemon with his body. Ralts cried out in alarm at this while Feebas was left shocked as the boy fell back. Both pokemon looked at the sound of foosteps to see an irate Tabitha come over with his Golbat and the grunt following his pace with a Zubat.

''You brats just don't quit, do you?'' He growled.

''Stay away from them!'' Ash cried as he and Pikachu ran over to help, Wally tried to move but he was clearly unable to get far, hurt as he was.

''Aqua Jet!''

Before anyone knew it, a Sharpedo charged and tackled both red clad men and their pokemon hard.

The Sharpedo went back to a man in a dark blue outfit, wearing a bandana that had Team Aqua's symbol on it. Matt was standing behind him, seeming satisfied at the duo's defeat.

''That's Team Aqua's leader! He's here too...?'' Professor Cosmo breathed.

But the new arrival's attention was on the boys, particularly Wally. He hadn't failed to notice that even now, the boy was keeping a firm, protective hold on Ralts and Feebas. ''A couple of my boys noticed you, you got some guts for a wee little thing. You're somethin' else...instead of just charging when you know you'd be overwhelmed, you were actually damn smart about it. You still came to help your friend, even going so far to defend those two when many wouldn't...'' He cracked a grin, knowing his grunts had simply let the boy pass since he had no intention of fighting them. They had been plenty busy anyway. ''...I can respect that, little scamp.''

Wally had no idea what to say to that, really not expecting such a thing. Helping out like the man had was one thing but this? And the man really seemed to mean it too...

Tabitha was about to order his Golbat to attack, only to freeze in surprise when it was hit by a green blur a second later.

It happened to be none other than Electrike, who proceeded to knock the pokemon out with a Thunder Fang.

Cursing, the man stepped back as the lightning pokemon landed in front of his trainer and partner, growling at their enemies. But it seemed Electrike's arrival was only the beginning as Brock's group arrived with a few of their pokemon out. Wally began to smile at this as Maxie grimaced but he signalled to a few of the grunts he had on standby to step forward and a battle quickly ensued.

Ash helped Wally up ''You going to be okay?''

The boy made to respond but he felt a sharp pain up his shoulder that made him wince, biting back a groan as he gripped it. ''S-sorry...'' He managed as the movement made him drop Feebas. However, the pokemon didn't seem to care, its focus being more on him.

Similarly, Ralts, Electrike and Pikachu were looking on in concern. Ash felt guilt well up within him as he watched his friend reassure them that he would be all right. It was just as Archie had said-Wally had come to help him in the first place, because he knew how dangerous this situation was. The Kanto trainer knew that he hadn't even stuck with their earlier agreement. He'd just gotten angry upon learning of what Team Magma did but things didn't have to be this way...

May ran over with Swablu in tow ''Are you guys all right?'' But she saw the answer to her own question as she looked them over.

''I...well, we will be.'' Ash said after a moment.

Wally glanced at the ensuing battle. ''Team Magma's being held up-can't we try taking the meteorite now?''

''We better, I don't think we'll get another chance...'' Ash quickly noticed that Professor Cosmo seemed to have the same idea, as he was already in front of the machine. The battle provided a big enough distraction as he was busy trying to get the item back.

But it looked like Maxie was starting to realize what they were doing, he clearly wanted to stop them but was busy battling Archie. His Camerupt was already in a bad disadvantage against the man Sharpedo, if he let up, he would more than likely lose.

Thus, having no choice, he ordered two of his grunts to stop them. Wally had Electrike attack the first grunt's Koffing with a Shock Wave with Fire Fang while May and Swablu stopped the second grunt and his Numel with Round.

''Ash, go! That guy's going to be a in a lot of trouble if they get to focus on him.'' May pointed out.

The boy nodded back, sparing them a concerned glance. After a moment of hesitation, he ran over to the professor.

''I-I can't get it to open!'' The man exclaimed when he saw Ash.

The boy frowned ''Let's try this then, Thunderbolt!''

The attack caused an explosion, leading to an alarm sounding from the machine. Most looked on in as the part holding back was open. This was enough to galvanise Team Magma. One of the grunts tried to tackle Cosmo to get the meteorite back but Ash had Pikachu use Quick Attack to stop him.

The distraction cost them though, as Brock's group was able to keep pushing until most of them were defeated. Wally and May took down the last of the grunts' pokemon as Archie had Sharpedo defeat Camerupt with another Aqua Jet.

Professor Cosmo glanced at the meteorite, his hand clenching around it ''I was a real fool, so foused on my research that I couldn't see what was right in front of me...it took you kids stepping in to make sure I wouldn't make a horrible mistake. I was so excited to start that nothing seemed more important. But...enough of that.''

''Stop!'' Maxie cried, knowing where this was going. But it was too late.

He proceeded to toss the meteorite into the volcano with all his strength. In seconds, it was gone.

* * *

Both teams soon left, having nothing else left here. The kidnapped people made sure to thank Ash, Wally and Professor Cosmo, knowing they had also fought hard to stop them. Soon things settled down and everyone headed to the gondola station. Though if they had stayed longer, they would've seen Team Rocket also trying to hurry away as the police was arriving...

''That should do it.'' Brock nodded in satisfaction after he was done tending to his friends' injuries, leaving them to thank him.

''I can't believe you guys rushed right into that mess. Reckless doesn't even begin to describe it!'' Max exclaimed.

''Seriously, what were you thinking?'' May demanded irritably.

''I-I'm sorry...'' Wally returned. The urgency of the situation back then made him feel trapped and he went with the only way he could see back then. ''...it was a bad idea but I didn't know what else to do. Looking back, it would've been better if I had talked to you guys first...''

''Don't blame him.'' Ash cut the boy off. In his opinion, the green haired boy had nothing to apologize for. ''Wally only came in like that because I jumped right into things. He was trying to help me, I would've been much worse off without him. I wanted to stop them but I should've gone better about it.''

Brock crossed his arms ''Well, I'm glad you realize that. Mistakes were made but there's no point lamenting what's already been done, use this day a lesson for the future.''

Wally nodded back and Ash was about to speak when he saw Professor Cosmo approaching.

''There you are.''

''Hey, what's up?'' Ash cocked his head.

''Well, I thought there was something you'd want to see.'' He looked outside where Pikachu, Ralts and Electrike stood talking to Feebas. The water type was swimming in one of a small spring near the station, now looking much better.

''So that is a wild pokemon, right? I was just thinking that Ralts and Electrike seem familiar with Feebas.'' Professor Cosmo admitted.

''Really? I don't see how...'' Max looked puzzled.

But May knew ''Wait, you don't think...?''

Ash and Brock were also exchanging looks that proved they had a good guess, remembering something Wally told them before.

The boy in question approached the four pokemon. ''...You're that same Feebas from the other day, aren't you?''

Feebas nodded happily at this. Wally couldn't help but smile ''I wondered what happened to you. Glad you're okay now.''

The pokemon seemed more pleased by this, knowing all its preconceptions about the boy had been wrong. Thus, it made a decision.

Ralts and Electrike were curious when Feebas began addressing them, both pleasantly surprised upon hearing what it had to say. The former went tug at Wally's sleeve, pointing at his pokeballs.

''Wait, you're saying Feebas wants to...?'' The boy blinked.

Both his pokemon nodded and May smiled ''You should go for it-Feebas clearly likes you.''

The boy glanced at the water type, who beamed back. Wally began to smile again ''...All right then.''

He held out a pokeball and enlarged it, Feebas tapped it without missing a beat. The item shook a little but it quickly came to a stop, signifying a successful capture.

''Way to go, looks like Feebas understood what you're really like this time.'' Ash said with a grin.

Wally nodded back, glancing back at the pokeball as his partners joined them. Well, he hadn't thought things would go down like this after their first meeting but he certainly wasn't about to complain. It felt nice to see how things improved since then.

Shortly afterwards, after saying goodbye to Professor Cosmo, the group rode the gondola that would take them to their destination, Lavaridge Town.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. I gave this chapter a lot of thought and I decided to go with it this way in the end. I'm basing Team Magma and Team Aqua on what I've seen from them in Alpha Sapphire, so hopefully they won't be too out of character. Given what was mentioned from Archie's backstory, I think he would be the one to see that Wally went as far as he did here because he cared for his friends. I had a different plan on introducing Feebas in the story but this came to mind when I started writing the story and I decided to do it this way._

 _I intend to use this chapter as a lesson too. For starters, Ash's always going to reckless and impulsive (it's honestly hard for me to imagine him differently) but what went down here should be a reminder to curb those traits. Wally wound up reacting to the pressure, but that could also be bad._

 _Well, that's really all I had to say. Thanks for reading and thanks for those who left reviews, you guys help me stay motivated. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, till next time!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Mario 64: Thanks. Yeah, it was nice to see a reminder of Ash's battles and experiences. It does seem like Ash would meet some of his old friends-one of the recent trailers I've seen mentions him battling Korrina for one thing. Gen 8 is looking better and better, it's definitely got loads of surprises that make it all the more fun. Ash's team is shaping up to pretty interesting for sure. I don't know if you've seen it but there were a couple of videos on YouTube that mentioned Ash probably getting a Sobble and a Riolu._

 _Advance shipper: That is exactly what I'm going for here. Ash really does rush things so much and I also think he can missing out on a lot of things that could make the journey all the more better. I agree with you, seeing him dense was funny but it kind of got old after a while. He's still going to be impulsive, I find it hard to imagine him differently but I want to work things so that he learns to try and think and not just always charge in, guns blazing._

 _Anyway, thanks. I tried to keep some sort of schedule when I first started writing fanfiction but honestly, it just didn't work. Guess I basically work best when inspiration strikes._

 _May: Thanks, I will. Ash x May is one of my favorite pairings too._

* * *

Brock and Max were sitting in Lavaridge Town's Pokemon Center, specifically at the cafeteria, waiting for their friends to catch up to arrive breakfast together.

What happened at Mt. Chimney had really worn the group down so they wound up taking it easy for almost two days. The injuries Wally incurred from the altercation with Team Magma was another reason for that choice, the boy had been sore for some time and he needed to take it easy. It all served as a reminder of how much worse the situation could've gone.

Max glanced at his sister, who was talking to Ash and Wally as they picked up some food before speaking ''Hey, Brock? Does Ash seem kind of different to you?''

''Yeah...'' The older boy returned. ''...he's been thinking things over. It's because he really feels bad about what happened almost two days ago.''

''Well, he _should._ I get that he wanted to help but that didn't mean he had to charge into that mess like this.'' Max huffed. They had things all planned out but Ash simply threw that out the window on a whim. Wally had gotten really hurt because of it too.

''I agree, he's always been like that though.'' Brock stated. He understood Max's annoyance with his old friend as he really thought Ash should have known better. The teen was only glad that Wally handled things as well as he did. Brock had briefly been worried that Wally would hold Ash responsible for his injuries like May and Max did. But Wally had surprised him again as he had made it clear he only blamed that Team Magma Admin, helping ease any tension over the issue with everyone. Still, Brock knew Ash had taken the entire deal badly. The only upside was that the boy was apparently learning from that situation.

''We wound up coming here first, after all...'' Max trailed off, thinking of Ash and May's fight over this matter.

''Yeah, I hadn't noticed until May and I were looking over the map the day after we met Shelby. Looking for the Mega Stone with her wound up taking us off our planned path.''

He blinked ''Oh, yeah...do you know if May's okay wtih this?''

Brock nodded ''She knows it can't be helped...''

''Hey, what a coincidence.'' May's voice brought their attention to the girl as she joind them with Ash, Pikachu and Wally. ''We were just talking about that. But yeah, I plan to make the most of things. I can still make it so I'll make sure to be prepared, then I'll definitely win my second ribbon!''

''Someone's confident.'' Max looked amused.

''That's the way to go, May.'' Ash remarked, the others nodding to this.

''So did you talk to Professor Birch?'' Brock inquired, recalling something the boy mentioned earlier.

''Yup, turns out he knows a bunch about Mega Evolution.'' He returned. ''He's actually helping another pokemon professor over in Kalos who's learning. I think that guy's name was Sycamore...Anyway, since it turned out there's a bunch of pokemon native to Hoenn who can Mega Evolve, Professor Birch decided to look into this too.''

''So say someone wants to do it, how do they find the Mega Ring and the appropriate Mega Stone?'' Max inquired.

''He mentioned that, actually.'' May stated. ''There's few around Hoenn who know about those-and you remember the trouble we had finding the Medichamite. There's no telling where other stones would be. The material for the Mega Ring is apparently easier so Professor Birch found some. He's looking to pull some favors to get some made but he isn't sure how it'd work out.''

Brock nodded ''Makes sense-having someone who can use Mega Evolution willing to help would probably make progress with their research.''

Max gained a sly look ''So did you ask him if he'd give you one, Ash?''

''How'd you guess?'' Wally laughed a bit and both boys shared amused glances at the look on the kanto trainer's faces. ''Ash got pretty excited back there so he wanted to find a way to make it happen. It's mostly because some of his pokemon can Mega Evolve, right?''

''Yup, guess I got carried away...I was just thinking of what it'd be like to have Charizard Mega Evolve...'' Ash admitted, a faraway look on his face.

''You've got a Charizard?'' May blinked. ''Oh, wait-that's the one from the league Max was talking about before. Is Charizard back at your home now?''

''Actually, he's training in the Charicific Valley.'' was the response. ''It's this faraway reserve where only Charizard live. He wanted to train there so he could keep getting stronger so badly that I decided to let him but he still came to help a couple of times before.''

''Yeah, those two have had some bumps in the road but they're as close as it can be now.'' Brock mused with a smile, thinking that Charizard would definitely fit the bond requirement for Mega Evolution.

''So hey, I was thinking I'd take a walk later but I hear this town's got some amazing hotsprings. What do you say we go check that out?'' May suggested.

''Sounds good.'' Wally returned.

''Yeah, I've never been to one before.'' Max added.

''All the more reason to do it then.'' Brock stated. ''What do you think, Ash?''

Some of his friends were expecting him to want to hold it off until he got his badge so they were surprised when he grinned ''Let's go for it.''

* * *

And so, after taking a brief walk around the town, the group went to enjoy the hotsprings.

It turned out there were hotsprings and hot sand baths so the group and their pokemon soon seperated according to their choice.

Ash smiled to himself as he watched Feebas swim around. It was nice to see how the water type was warming up to them. She was still the most comfortable around Wally, Ralts and Electrike. But it was kind of like with Swablu, she just needed a little time to get used to things. From what Wally told them, this was a big step up. Though he wondered what on earth happened to Feebas to leave her in that messed up state in which their friends found her.

Normally he'd be more excited for finally getting here but the feeling was marred by a few realizations he'd had lately. He only recently noticed that they wound up changing paths through their travels until Lavaridge was closer than Fallarbor. And...he glanced at Wally, who was talking with Brock nearby...after what went down at Mt. Chimney...well...

He felt awful about the whole thing. Ash was perfectly aware that he likely would have been in even worse trouble if Wally and Ralts hadn't come to help back then. The boy had gotten hurt bad for it and despite his reassurance, Ash still felt responsible. He shouldn't have rushed off like that. But he felt angry when he learned what Team Magma was up to and he just acted on the urge he felt to do something about it. Ash felt foolish for not even considering the consequences and terrible that one of his friends paid the price for it. Brock had been right, it was lucky that the situation hadn't turned out worse than it already did.

But that was just why he wanted to learn from that day. Ash could be honest and admit that it may not be easy to change but he felt that he owed it to his friends to try.

Before anyone knew it, Corphish had decided to have a little water fight with the other pokemon. Some, like Pikachu, Ralts and Machop humored him and played along but others like Treecko and Lombre were not impressed and merely pushed him away.

This seemed to convince Corphish to try a different tactic, which wound up with him trying to include Ash and the others too.

''Hey!'' The Kanto trainer yelped in surprise when he felt the water on his back but Corphish just laughed. ''...All right, fine. You asked for it!''

Corphish blinked, then noticing Ash launching into rapid thrusts that wound up with him getting spun around in the lurching waves. But the trend kept going and soon most of them were dragged into the water fight.

It was quickly put to an end when Taillow, being annoyed when Corphish drenched him, hit the water type so hard that he hit the wall.

''That's that, huh?'' Max gave Taillow a wary look, preferring not to push this any further.

''You took this too far.'' Brock quickly apologized to the two others (a boy and an old man) who had been in the bath with them and came closer after being attracted by the noise. Thankfully, neither seemed to mind. They clearly found the whole thing amusing.

''You guys sure look like a lively bunch.'' The boy, who had dark hair, tan skin and blue eyes remarked with a grin. A Marshtomp swam behind him, approaching the group's pokemon. ''And with some variety of pokemon to boot-normally you don't see a Pikachu or a Feebas anywhere around these parts.''

''Well, we've come a long way.'' Wally returned.

''I know the feeling. Marshtomp and I go way back-we've been helping Dad's work even before I really set out on my journey but it's been a blast.'' The boy returned. ''Oh, name's Brendan, Brendan Birch.''

Max blinked ''Wait, Birch as in _Professor_ Birch?''

''Yup, he's my old man.''

''We met-I didn't know he had a son...Oh, I'm Ash from Pallet Town.'' The boy then proceeded to introduce the others.

Brendan's face lit up in recognition ''Dad told me about you guys! You're the ones who wound up bailing him out when he got himself in trouble with those wild pokemon, right?'' Ash confirmed and the boy shook his head in exasperation. ''Mom and I keep trying to warn him to be careful but he always gets carried away.''

''Now that sounds familiar...'' Max muttered, not sparing the person he had in mind a look.

''So if you're traveling now, do you want to be a researcher like your father?'' Brock wanted to know.

''Not sure yet.'' Brendan admitted. ''I mean I wouldn't rule it out in the future but for now I'll stick with competing in the Hoenn League.''

Ash perked up ''Hey, you too? Me and Wally are challenging gyms, did you fight this town's gym leader yet?''

''Yup, Flannery just took over the Lavaridge Gym a few weeks ago. No one was sure about her seeing how experienced her grandpa was had. She was pretty nervous before but she's really tough when she gets going.''

''So then...'' Max blinked, seeing a shadowy figure dash around before yelping as he felt something touch his foot.

Ash was about to ask what was wrong but then he and Brendan saw the figure too, it quickly came before the latter. ''Whoa, Brendan...!''

The boy was looking unimpressed ''...I told you, that stupid trick got old ages ago. Now knock it off.''

Oddly enough, he seemed to be addressing the shadowy figure. But before anyone could question this, the figure jumped out of the water, revealing itself to be a Sableye. The pokemon looked back at them and grinned.

Brendan sighed ''Sorry about him. Sableye just likes his pranks way too much sometimes...''

''Well, no harm done.'' Brock offered.

* * *

Shortly afterwards, the boys invited Brendan to come with them to the gym. Their new friend took them up on it and was introduced to May, who was curious at the news that he was Professor Birch's son.

''Hey, that store has herbal medicine for pokemon. Is it like the stuff Brock and Wally know how to make?'' Max inquired, glancing back at the building they were approaching.

''Somewhat. I heard people talking about this place back at the Pokemon Center. I imagine some of the ingredients would be similar but the process can be different.'' Brock replied, noticing an old woman busy with a mixing bowl near a window.

''People are usually pretty careful around this stuff. Sure, it's usually potent but a lot of pokemon hate its taste. And if that's anything to go by...'' Brendan nodded at Pikachu, who was wrinkling his nose in disgust and turning away from the smell. ''...then the smell must be just as bad to them.''

''Pika.'' Pikachu mumbled, agreeing completely. That was awful. He really hoped Ash and the others wouldn't ever give him this kind of medicine.

They soon arrived at the gym and knock but receive no response. Their attempts to call are also to no avail.

''I guess no one's around...'' May almost jumped at the sound of a scream, quickly looking around for the source.

It turned out to be a redhaired girl who was running around in a panic, the reason being that a part of her hair was on fire. Thankfully, Brendan thought fast and called out Marshtomp, having his starter use a light Water Gun to put out the fire.

The girl sighed in relief ''Thanks...oh, hey Brendan!''

''Flannery, what was that about?'' He cocked his head, missing Ash and Max looking at him in surprise. So this was the Gym Leader?

She laughed sheepishly as she took off her jacket ''Well, you see...''

The girl took a step back in surprise when Brock jumped before her ''Hello there, I'm Brock. I'm only glad to such a beauty was unharmed...''

He never got further than that for as usual, Max grabbed his ear and began hauling him away. ''Okay, let's stop you right there.''

Flannery seemed puzzled while Brendan blinked twice ''Okay, what...?''

''That always seems to happen, you learn not to ask with Brock.'' May deadpanned. ''Anyway, what happened back there?''

''It was an accident. I was training Magu and Megu, my Slugma. I'm trying to get them to evolve.'' Flannery admitted, she sent both pokemon out then. ''So, Brendan, are your friends here for a challenge?''

''Yeah, Ash and Wally are.'' He informed, gesturing at each boy in turn before the group introduced themselves.

''All right! I'm ready to go!'' Flannery looked excited. She hurled a third pokeball, releasing a Torkoal. The girl then tossed a piece of coal which the pokemon ate and released a deep steamy breath.

May scanned the new pokemon, the pokedex buzzed _''Torkoal, the Coal Pokemon. Torkoal generates energy by burning coal. It grows weaker as the fire dies down. When it is preparing for battle, this Pokemon burns more coal.''_

Wally gave the Gym Leader a curious look ''So...um, you want to battle here? Not that I see anything wrong with it but I thought the battles happen at the Gym.''

Ash kicked himself for not considering that-guess old habits die hard. Though now that their friend brought the point up, it was indeed unusual.

Flannery looked embarrassed ''Ah...well, it isn't really possible at the gym right now.''

Max blinked ''Why not?''

Brendan had a feeling that he knew ''Wait, don't tell me...'' He remembered the day he came to challenge her. ''...it's still a mess, isn't it?''

Flannery slumped a little ''...Yeah...'' To the others, she explained. ''...see, I had a few challengers before Brendan. And...well, things got kinda rough. I was trying to the field back in shape and I called some people for help but they couldn't come. I was beginning to work things around so the field was improving, I guess I got a little carried away when I took up Brendan's challenge and it's worse than ever now.''

The boy had actually been rather nice about it-seeing the state of the Gym, he assured that he wouldn't have minded waiting until it was sorted. Flannery wouldn't have it though, she felt that she had to be ready to meet her challengers just like her grandfather would have have been. Thus, they battled and Brendan won but the gym got even more messed up in the end.

''Well, how about we help you fix it up?'' Brock suggested. He could sympathize with the girl, she was just starting out and she was clearly still adjusting to her role as a Gym Leader. He knew from experience that it was a lot of responsiblity so he would be glad to lend her a hand.

''Good idea, I'm up for that!'' Ash stated.

''Me too.'' Wally added while May and Max nodded.

''Guess that makes all of us then.'' Brendan put in.

Flannery smiled ''Thanks!''

* * *

The field was unusable indeed, having plenty of deep holes. After handing her new acquaintances some shovels, Flannery went to prepare some drinks for them.

''So you tried to help her back then...'' May trailed off when Brendan finished telling them about his first visit to the Gym.

''Yeah...you pretty much know how that went though. It sounds like she got carried away but after I thought about it, I figured she's just trying to do her best. It can't be easy being in that position now.'' The boy remarked.

''Oh yeah, because people were comparing her to her grandpa.'' The girl nodded. That wasn't fair at all though. Everyone had to start somewhere, do they really just expect her to match up to him?

''She probably went through plenty of pressure.'' Wally remarked.

''No kidding...'' Ash agreed, though this made him all the more resolved to help the girl somehow.

And so they kept working, with the help of some of their pokemon. Flannery rejoining them once she finished and they fixed up much of the field. Later, they took a short break. Flannery gave them the drinks and treated the pokemon to some food.

''Grandpa was a great Gym Leader, one of the best in Hoenn.'' Flannery mused. ''He and his Typhlosion defeated so many challengers. Seeing that kind of team work really inspired me and I wanted to be just as strong of a trainer so he taught me what he knew. But then he recently retired and entered a pokemon poetry club. He was worried but I told him everything would be fine...only now it feels like I'm messing up everything.''

''Don't be so hard on yourself-you're just starting out. That can be rough.'' Brock offered.

''I think so too. Dad told us he didn't have it easy beginning as a Gym Leader either. Just give it a little time.'' May added, Max nodded in agreement.

Flannery gave them a grateful smile and Brendan spoke up ''You'll figure it out-we've got your back.''

''Yeah, it'll be fine.'' Wally smiled.

They began getting up to return to work, Ash picked up his shovel ''I bet your grandpa would get along great with Professor Oak-he talks a bunch about pokemon poetry too.''

''Really?'' Flannery knew of Professor Oak like many out there as he was a famed figure. She certainly hadn't pictured him as a poet. ''Wait, how do you know him?''

''Well, actually...''

* * *

Little did Flannery know that Mr. Moore, her grandfather, had actually returned to Lavaridge. He had tried to focus on his poetry with the rest of the club but he was too worried about his granddaughter and her career. He felt that he had to check on her before he could rest easy.

He couldn't just simply go back though. If Flannery found out, that would surely upset her. He was the one who chose to entrust the gym to her after all. Thus he decided to don a diguise to appear as a young man and carefully went about until he reached the gym.

It looked like she found some help to maintain the battlefield. That was good, he mused as he watched his granddaughter work. He could see her Torkoal rolling a rock to plug a big hole. Flannery's Houndour was also trying to help it. A Pikachu and a Machop were pushing another one together while a Ralts levitated a bunch of rocks to close the smaller holes and a Marshtomp seemed to be trying to even the field out.

Moore paused when he heard someone whispering, making him look around. Strangely enough, no one was there. Shrugging, he turned back to his observation.

If he had been searched a little longer, he would've seen Team Rocket just before they snuck away.

* * *

Moore cringed as he kept watching, Flannery's words to her new friends reminding him of something.

He had forgotten to tell her where he stored the badges! It was lucky a few were at the ready but now she had none...How could he have been so foolish?

The man thought fast and had an idea. This would work!

* * *

Flannery was surprised when an old lady stopped by, needing the bathroom. But she had no problem guiding her there before returning to the others as they continued the work.

The lady was actually a disguised Moore, clad in a dress and a wig. He waited until Flannery was out of earshot after closing the bathroom door before he immediately scampered about to find the badges where he knew he left them.

And luckily, there they were in the same old blue box at top of the cupboard. Thus, he quickly picked them up and presented them to Flannery, pretending that it was just something 'she' came across before hurrying away.

''Hey, that's lucky!'' Max exclaimed when the redhead told them what happened.

''Isn't it? I don't know how she found them but this is such a relief!'' Flannery smiled.

''...Guys, I don't think we're doing this right.'' Ash said after a few moments, glancing around the field. ''Can we really get this place fixed up?''

''No backing out, Ash!'' Brock said at once.

''That's not what I meant!'' The boy retorted, sounding offended at the assumption. ''Hey Flannery, aren't there any other tools to help? I mean sure, we're plugging the holes and all but that can't be all there is to it. This place is still pretty rough.''

''He's got a point. If there aren't any, do you know where we can get some?'' May inquired.

''Hm, I think so...'' Flannery started. ''...I'll see to it.''

* * *

Brendan raised an eye when Flannery returned minutes later ''Hey, that was quick.''

''Well, that's because I ran into Mauro here.'' She admitted, gesturing to the man walking behind her.

It was again, a disguised Moore, this time pretending to be a young man with blond hair and glasses that kept his eyes hidden.

''He's a sympathizer for the Lavaridge Gym. He was friends with Grandpa so he actually got what we need.'' She informed.

''Oh, thanks!'' Max exclaimed.

Mauro chuckled ''Not at all, I'm only glad to help.''

And so they went back to work, this time with better tools like a flattening wheel that helped even out the field. They quickly wound up getting help from some professional workers, who helped quicken up the pace.

After working for a while and finishing up, everyone heard Torkoal let out a cry only to see that the fire type was being stuffed in a bag by the workers.

''Torkoal!'' Flannery cried.

Mauro rounded on them ''What do you think you're doing?!''

''What a ridiculous question...'' One of the workers purred before they removed their clothes, revealing none other than Team Rocket.

''Not you again!'' May scowled.

Jessie laughed ''Well, too bad for you twerps but we refuse to give up. All your pokemon are going to be ours. So, prepare for...''

''Oh, save it! No one wants to hear any of your lousy motto!'' Max cut in.

''Lousy?! Why you little...!'' Jessie snarled.

''Come on, Jess, remember the plan!'' James said quickly.

''Fine!'' She hurled a pokeball. ''Seviper, use Haze!''

A thick, black smoke surrounded the area, enabling the evil trio's escape. Ash was about to send out Taillow to blow it out only to be surprised when Mauro called out a Wingull to do it instead.

Flannery blinked. She was suddenly reminded of her grandfather's pet Wingull...

Shaking the thought, she hurried after Team Rocket with the others. Team Rocket was up in their balloon when they caught up to them but Wingull put paid to their escape by popping their balloon with its beak.

The three pulled themselves up, blocking the bag that held Torkoal. ''Don't think you've won yet!'' James snapped before he and Jessie sent out Cacnea and Seviper respectively. Jessie had her pokemon charge at once but James had to dodge Cacnea's affectionate hug before telling it to attack too.

''You're not getting anything...'' Ash grabbed a pokeball.

''Hold on, I'll handle this.'' Mauro declared before sending out a Typhlosion. Flannery couldn't help but stare, it reminded of her grandfather's ace. But how could that be...?

''Seviper, Poison Tail!'' Jessie cried.

''Cacnea, Pin Missile!'' James added.

Typhlosion easily dodged the first attack, only to be tackled by Seviper on Jessie's command next. Flannery sent out Magu to block the Pin Missile with Ember.

''Flamethrower now!'' Mauro called.

Cacnea was sent flying back by the blast, but then Seviper took advantage of the distraction to trap it with Wrap.

''Hey, that's dirty!'' Brendan frowned.

''Nothing to worry about.'' Mauro assured. ''Get rid of it with Flame Wheel!''

The counter worked perfectly, leaving Seviper thrown off and badly burnt as it hit the ground a moment later. May, Max and Brock freed Torkoal but then Meowth jumped in the way.

''Flamethrower!''

Focused as he was on the three, the Scratch Cat pokemon never saw Magu's attack coming.

''They are good.'' Ash remarked, glancing at Mauro and Flannery.

''Yeah, those three idiots never stood a chance.'' Brendan put in.

''You're wrong, twerp! Seviper, Tackle!'' Jessie snapped while James had Cacnea use Needle Arm.

''Magu, stop them with Flamethrower!'' Flannery countered, grinning when the attack worked perfectly.

''Now Typhlosion, get rid of those crooks with Flame Wheel!'' Mauro commanded. The Volcano pokemon charged at the thieves full force and they were quickly sent blasting off again. ''Hmph, good riddance.''

''Yeah, you guys were awesome!'' Max stated.

Flannery smiled, then Magu started glowing a brilliant white. In moments, he had become a Magcargo! Her expression lit up ''Magu, you're...this is amazing!''

''I'll say! Congratulations!'' Mauro smiled.

''Thank you! You really helped us out!'' She beamed, shaking his hand hard.

May raised an eye upon noticing that the handshake wound up dislodging what was clearly a wig, revealing gray hair beneath it. ''Hey, what gives?''

Mauro sighed ''Well, I should explain...'' He removed the wig and the glasses, finally revealing himself.

''Grandpa?'' Flannery spluttered.

''Oh, so he's...'' Both girls started when Brock got in front of them and began heaping praise on Flannery.

Max grabbed his ear once again ''Okay, enough already. This is so not helping.''

''So I guess you came to check up on Flannery, huh?'' Ash cocked his head.

''Yeah...as much as I trust her, I was simply too worried. I felt that I couldn't rest until I saw how shared but that's why I couldn't show my face either.'' Moore admitted, seeming uncomfortable.

''Well, ah, no harm done. It looks like you just care enough to want things to work out for her. And you really did help us out before.'' Wally offered.

''He's right, Grandpa.'' Flannery added, after all it was with his help that they got so much sorted out. ''Sure, it was a surprise but it's good to see you again. I'm, ah, still trying to learn to be a good Gym Leader but I promise to make you proud.''

''Oh, you already are, my dear.'' He returned happily. ''The fact that you persevere is more than enough. You've certainly come quite a way in such a short time. I'm impressed with your battling skills.''

''Aww, thanks!'' Flannery beamed.

* * *

With all the present help, the battlefield was soon good as new. Flannery and Moore invited the group to dinner as thanks. May and Brock suggested that they go visit the hot springs again to rest up before the upcoming gym battles.

Moore left everyone amused when he decided to make haikus about them after having finished one about Flannery and Magu.

''Yup, it's just like with Professor Oak...'' Ash's lips twitched as he watched the man think of something for him and Pikachu.

He soon found Wally and Brendan talking animatedly nearby. The two had clearly hit it off and were soon exchanging tales about their travels, Brendan had taken routes different from theirs so he was interested to hear how they fared. The boy apparently still helped his father however he could from time to time if possible. It was nice to see them getting along so well.

''Oh, man so they saw those wacky traps too?'' Brendan shook his head, recalling his visit to the Mauville Gym. ''I'm pretty Sableye was the only one who got a kick out of the whole thing and it gave him ideas...the whole thing wound up being a real pain. I still don't get why he likes those gizmos so much.''

Truth be told, Wally didn't either. He'd only heard about the traps from Max so there wasn't much he could say. The boy was beginning to think it was really lucky that the Mauville Gym was undergoing repairs when on his visit though. ''Well, to each their own?''

''Yeah, let's go with that.'' He returned with a snort. ''So, you ready for your battle?''

''As ready as I'll ever be, I guess.'' Wally half-smiled as some of their pokemon approached them. ''It's strange...the first time I was really nervous but it actually wound up being fun.''

''Yeah, I know the feeling. So how'd you handle it?'' Brendan wanted to know.

''Well, I went with some advice I was given before...'' He thought back to Lisia's words. ''...if I couldn't give it my all...if I got nervous and down about it, it'd affect my pokemon so I just tried treating it like another battle. I could barely believe it when we won.''

Brendan smiled ''Feels pretty good, right?''

''Haha, yeah...'' The green haired boy returned, stroking Feebas' scales, making the water type beam at him. ''...I'm still kind of nervous but I think I'll try doing what I did back then.''

''Makes sense, that sounds like some pretty good advice anyway. You'll be all right.'' His new friend returned.

''Thanks...''

The two started as Max called out to them, stating that everyone was leaving. And so they headed to Flannery and Moore's place to have dinner together.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. So there are a few consequences for the Mt. Chimney situation. I intend to have Ash learn from that day but an sudden complete change sounds a bit too unbelievable to me. But the lesson is learned, just give it a little time._

 _I thought of introducing Brendan here ever since I got back to working on my plans. I saw some of his pokemon over in the movies but I'm not using them all. Anyway, I intend for him to be a recurring character so you'll see more of him and his team down the line. He's going to stick around for a bit before going on his own way, mind you._

 _Originally, I intended to put in a surprise in this chapter but given the state of things here, I changed my mind so it'll have to be in the next chapter._

 _Well, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Guest: Wow, thanks a lot!_

 _beenjammin0421: Thanks. Actually, now that you mention it, I'm having a hard time thinking of a female character in Hoenn to pair with Wally too. I figure it's fine though, I mean he's still only 10, you know?_

 _But taking Wally to Sinnoh, huh? I never considered that but it's an interesting idea. I did have one story planned in the Sinnoh region. What I had in mind was different and I'm still on the fence about publishing that story. I don't really feel up to that now but that may change down the line. The ideas of pairing him up with Dawn and having him face Paul would be cool though._

 _Advance shipper: Hey, thanks! I intended the experience at Mt. Chimney to be an eye opener for Ash to begin with. Hmm, I have to admit, I like your idea but I think it really is early. I think it does work with one of the plans I had for later on though._

 _I like Korrina a lot too. Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing a story with her and Ash as the pairing at all. It's a shame, really. That episode with Riolu was neat and it did make me wonder if they would bring Ash's aura powers again. It really has been a long time coming. Yeah, Gen 8 is looking to be more and more interesting, wonder what else it has in store._

 _Pokemon fan: Thanks, I will. Well, I was hoping to surprise people when I decided to add Brendan. Good to know it worked, I figure I can make the story more interesting by integrating Brendan here._

* * *

With the Lavaridge gym restored, Flannery happily agreed to battle Ash and Wally the following day.

''So she's really okay with battling both of you?'' May clarified.

''Yup, Flannery sounded sure that she has everything under control now.'' Ash returned.

Brock began to smile ''Well, she has been in high spirits ever since the gym's back in order. I bet that's a big help. Not to mention, she does look up to Mr. Moore. Maybe this is just a way for her to show him that he doesn't need to worry about her anymore.''

''According to Brendan, she's been doing real good for a new gym leader. You guys better stay sharp, sounds like you could have a challenge on your hands.'' Max told Ash and Wally.

''We will.'' The latter returned.

''You bet!'' Ash nodded.

* * *

The group met up with Brendan near the gym. It wasn't a surprise given that he had already told them yesterday that he was really curious to see how Ash and Wally battled and they welcomed him to join them when the time came.

They found Flannery and Mr. Moore, who took them to the gym's battlefield. The latter had decided to be the referee today and so he was the one to move things along. ''So who's going first?''

The question made Wally pause, it really wasn't something he had considered. He happened to look at Ash, who seemed sheepish.

Ash had promised himself to take a closer, more careful approach to everything. Since recent events had been an all too clear reminder of the side effects of his tendency to rush into things.

Still, the fact was, he really wanted to battle now. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same, he supposed...

May's next words proved that his expression had tipped her off ''I think we know Ash enough to guess what his answer is now.''

''Of course.'' Max agreed, his tone deadpan while Brock seemed amused. ''He wants to go first, huh? Predictable as always.''

Wally spoke up then, unknowingly cutting Ash off before he could retort ''Well then, that's fine.''

''Really?'' The boy said instead.

''Yeah, it makes no difference to me.''

''That decides it then, come on.'' Flannery prompted the Kanto trainer, who nodded back. The two of them along with Mr. Moore headed to the battlefield while the others went to take their seats.

''So, I guess Ash's a real go-getter, huh?'' Brendan half-smiled.

''That's one way of putting it.'' Max returned dryly.

Brock's lips twitched ''Let's just say we're used to Ash's enthusiasm for battling always running strong.''

''All right.'' Mr. Moore cleared his throat. ''This will be a two on two pokemon battle. Only the challenger can substitute pokemon and the battle will be over when both pokemon on one side are unable to continue. Are you two ready?''

''Yeah!'' Ash and Flannery replied, both looking confident.

''I won't be going easy, Ash.'' The girl declared.

''Good, I wouldn't want you to.'' He returned, the girl smirking in response.

Mr. Moore couldn't help but smile, seeing how confident she was. Good, that was the right attitude for a Gym Leader.

''Now, begin!'' He called.

Both challenger and Gym Leader took out pokeballs and tossed them in the air.

''Magu, come on out!''

''Corphish, I choose you!''

The newly evolved Magcargo faced the Ruffian pokemon while the others looked on. ''Good, Ash has the advantage.'' May remarked.

''Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's already won.'' Brock reminded. ''Besides, remember that Magu's stronger than before thanks to his evolution. I think Flannery has to have something planned to deal with this situation.''

''Magu, use Flamethrower!'' Flannery commanded.

''Harden!'' Ash called at once. Corphish remained where he was, the move serving to defend him from the flames perfectly. ''Now use Bubble!''

''Dodge it!''

To general surprise, Magu dodge the spray of bubbles with ease. Max's eyes widened ''Whoa, I sure didn't think Magu would be this fast!''

Ash had Corphish repeat the attack while spinning, only for that measure to be taken care of when Flannery ordered a Light Screen. The idea worked perfectly as even if the Bubble attack hit Magu, the damage would be halved thanks to the protective Light Screen.

''All right, Crabhammer go!'' Ash called.

Flannery confused everyone by remaining silent for a bit before calling out ''Rock Slide!''

Magu proceeded to summon a number of glowing rocks which were then hurled at Corphish. The ruffian pokemon had no time to dodge, leaving him to be sent flying back a second later.

''She set him up...'' Wally realized.

''Yeah, all to make sure Rock Slide would hit. That was clever.'' Brock stated.

Mr. Moore glanced at his granddaughter, seeing how focused she was on the battle. His pride in her surged once more. To think she had grown this much in such a short time...

Ash grit his teeth, now really seeing that all he had heard about his opponent was accurate. Despite being a relatively new leader, there was no denying Flannery's skill.

Wait, given the present rocks, Corphish was hard to spot. Maybe he could use that...

''Use Curse!'' Flannery called.

May looked puzzled as Magu was surrounded by a dark glow ''What was that?''

''Curse is usually a move that amps up the user's offense and defense at the cost of speed.'' Brendan informed.

Ash's eyes narrowed ''Corphish, keep using Crabhammer!''

At first, the idea seemed to work. Flannery and Magu were surprised when Corphish came from the latter's far left, being obscured by the remaining rubble from Rock Slide. This gave the water type enough window to nail a couple of succesful hits.

Flannery grimaced, knowing how bad this could be. What should she do?

No, she shook herself, panicking like this had cost her some matches in the last few weeks. Flannery had promised to give it her all, especially with her grandfather watching. She wanted to make sure he had nothing to worry about.

''Sandstorm!''

Just as Corphish was about to attack again, Magu created a spiralling sandstorm that sent the water type up in the air. Flannery had her pokemon follow up with a Flamethrower which nailed the mark. He could hardly and he expected Corphish had the same problem so Ash had no choice but to resort to the Bubble attack, despite it being weakened by Light Screen.

He grimaced when the attack was merely swept away in the strong winds a second later. On the other hand, Flannery knew Magu had taken a lot of damage and was probably not going to last much longer but at least Corphish was taking damage from the Sandstorm. Still, she knew this match had to end soon.

''All right then, try to smash through with Crabhammer!'' Ash called.

''Use Rock Slide!'' Flannery countered.

The multitude of rocks began to fall as Corphish charged at Magu, his pincer glowing. The water type was able to avoid most of the rocks this time but one caught him just as he came closer, nailing him to the ground. Despite that, Corphish proved his tenacity as he pushed forward and struck hard and true even as Magu tried to dodge.

As a result...

''Magu is unable to battle, Corphish wins! This round goes to Ash, the challenger!'' Mr. Moore declared.

''That was impressive. Even with Corphish's advantage, Flannery sure made Ash work hard for that win.'' Max remarked as the redhead returned Magu to his pokeball while expressing her gratitude.

''Yup, anyone who underestimates her is going to be in trouble.'' Brendan stated.

Mr. Moore was more than inclined to agree with that statement. But as the referee, he had to be impartial so he proceeded to usher them along to begin the second round.

Flannery took out a pokeball ''I have to say you really are good.''

''Heh, back at you. This is exciting.'' Ash grinned.

''Well then you'd be glad to know that I'm not done yet. Go, Torkoal!''

The pokeball opened as it was tossed in the air, releasing the White Smoke pokemon a second later.

''I wondered who she'd choose, go figure.'' Brendan nodded.

''Did you have to face Torkoal too?'' Wally inquired.

''Yeah and believe me, that one gave us plenty of trouble...''

Ash returned Corphish to allow him some rest before sending out Machop. The sight of the fighting type made Max look on curiously. This was Machop's first battle since he joined their group and the young boy wondered how it will go.

Once Mr. Moore called for the round to begin, both trainers too action.

''Torkoal, Flamethrower!''

''Dodge it and hit 'em with Karate Chop!''

Machop jumped up to dodge the fiery blast with ease and charged at Torkoal, his arm glowing as he prepared to strike.

But then Flannery was ready, having her pokemon use Withdraw just as Machop struck. The fighting type wound up hitting the shell and causing little damage. Ash ordered a Low Sweep, hoping to throw Torkoal off balance but it didn't seem to do much either.

''Use Gyro Ball!'' Flannery called then. Torkoal went into a spin, quickly gaining speed before striking the surprised Machop. ''Flamethrower!''

The next move also hit the mark as Machop was too close to move away in time. Ash grimaced as his pokemon pulled himself up. ''Try another Low Sweep!''

''Sludge Bomb!'' Flannery returned.

Machop was faster than his opponent and thus able to strike first, but despite that, Torkoal managed to blow him back with the poison type a moment later. Flannery ordered Torkoal to follow up with another Flamethrower while Ash told Machop to use Submission. The Superpower pokemon charged, ducking to avoid the Flamethrower before continuing to strike Torkoal. Ash took advantage of this to have him Karate Chop, which pushed Torkoal a ways back.

''All right, that's more like it!'' May exclaimed, glad to see that Ash was turning this around. Torkoal was tough but Machop was doing so well, even now, he pushed his opponent back.

''Remember that it's not over yet.'' Brendan pointed out. ''If anything, Ash's still at a disadvantage.''

She blinked, looking at him in surprise ''Wait, how come?''

It was Brock who answered ''Machop's limited to close up battle but Torkoal can strike from afar easily.''

Flannery ordered her pokemon to use Gyro Ball, to which Ash retaliated by having Machop use Revenge. The result blew Torkoal back and Machop charged to continue the offense at his trainer's command. Flannery proceeded to have Torkoal strike back by using Flamethrower. Machop was able to dodge only to be hit by the consequent Sludge Bomb attack.

Max figured this proved Brock and Brendan's point. The boy grimaced when he saw that Machop's face had gained a purple tint, proving that he was poisoned. What would Ash do now?

Ash decided a change of tactic was now in order. He held up Machop's pokeball ''Return!''

Once Machop was taken back into the device, he took out another one and sent Corphish back out into the field. The Ruffian pokemon still seemed a little weary but was clearly ready to battle.

''Use Bubble, quick!'' He called.

Flannery stiffened when Corphish blasted her pokemon with the move quickly. She watched the pokemon go for a Vicegrip on his trainer's command, knowing she had to act. ''Torkoal, Withdraw!''

The White Smoke pokemon quickly retreated, leaving the attack to strike the shell. Ash pressed on the offense by having Corphish use Crabhammer next. The defensive measure would help but she couldn't stay like that either. What to do...?

Max blinked twice ''That's some defense, it's even holding up against Crabhammer...''

Flannery's next call left most of the observers surprised ''Attract!''

Torkoal came out of the shell, then a flurry of pink, glittering hearts appeared and surged towards Corphish. Alarmed, Ash tried to tell his pokemon to get away. It was no use as the hearts flew after the water type. As a result, Corphish was gazing at Torkoal with clear adoration while Ash facepalmed.

''Wait, what just happened?'' May looked baffled.

''Attract is a move that makes the opponent fall in love with the user if their genders are different. The effectiveness varies but they'd be a lot less likely to attack. It's a lot like Skitty's Cute Charm ability.'' Her brother informed.

She blinked, realizing that it meant Torkoal was a female ''Oh...''

Brendan knew exactly how Ash felt at the moment. That move was one of the reasons battling the White Smoke pokemon had been tricky. The majority of his team was males after all.

He had been tempted to give his new friends some advice about battling Flannery. In the end, he had abstained for two reasons. One: it wouldn't have felt right as he also considered Flannery a friend. Two: Max had told him that they wouldn't want tips like that anyway.

''Corphish, use Crabhammer!'' Ash called, but the pokemon didn't move. He knew it could happen in this situation but it was worth a try.

The boy was contemplating whether he should switch pokemon when Flannery made her next move ''Body Slam!''

Despite being knocked down under Torkoal's weight, Corphish was still under the spell of Attract as proven by his continuing unwillingness to take action. This was something Flannery had clearly decided to take advantage of as she proceeded to have Torkoal blast Corphish with Sludge Bomb next.

The force of the attack blew Corphish back, seemingly snapping him out of his daze.

Ash perked up ''All right, use Crabhammer!''

''Overheat!'' Flannery countered.

As Corphish charged in, Torkoal released a big stream of fire that hit home a second later. Ash's eyes widened ''Corphish!''

The Ruffian pokemon had collapsed, his eyes resembling swirls as he uttered a weak moan.

Mr. Moore cleared his throat ''Corphish is unable to battle, Torkoal wins! This round goes to Flannery!''

The redhead smiled ''Good job, Torkoal. Let's keep this pace up!''

''I really thought Ash had more of a chance with Corphish out there but he lost...Attract sure is a dangerous move.'' May remarked.

''Yup, it all goes to show the advantages of a good strategy.'' Brendan added.

The battle continued once Ash sent Machop back out. Like his teammate, Machop appeared worn but still more than up to battling.

''Is Machop up to this? There's still that poison...'' Max couldn't help but wonder.

''Actually...going by what Ash said about Machop before, that might help.'' Wally stated, leaving him, Brendan and May surprised.

''How's that?'' May couldn't see how being poisoned would turn into an advantage.

But Brendan understood, drawing on some of what he came to learn about pokemon from his father ''Oh, so it's like that...'' He proceeded to explain how Machop's ability was likely Guts, so his attack would've been boosted with this poison.

''Submission!''

''Gyro Ball!''

Both pokemon collided, Machop's attack was stopped by the spinning Torkoal before the steel type move pushed him back. Ash's eyes narrowed, that hard shell was quite a problem. It was good for both offense and defense.

The clash just now had the Kanto trainer thinking though, he had concentrated on attacking Torkoal head on. What if...?

''Gyro Ball again!'' Flannery commanded.

''Duck and use Karate Chop!'' Ash countered.

The redhead wanted to point out how useless that would be but then she saw that Machop had struck Torkoal's side, sending the White Smoke pokemon spinning. ''No! Torkoal, stop!''

But it quickly became clear that her pokemon just couldn't do that. Ash then had Machop toss her up with Vital Throw. A dizzy Torkoal came out of her shell in mid-air, unable to bear it anymore.

''Machop, Seismic Toss!''

Machop leaped into the air and grabbed Torkoal before throwing her down hard, causing a dust cloud. As it cleared, they could see that Torkoal had slumped, having fainted.

''Torkoal is unable to battle win, Machop wins. This match goes to Ash!'' Mr. Moore declared.

''All right!'' Ash cheered.

Flannery looked sad for a few moments before exhaling and returning Torkoal to her pokeball ''You were great, just rest up now.''

The redhead smiled as she watched Ash being congratulated by May and the others. Well, she didn't feel as bad as she had during her first few matches since she took over the gym.

Mr. Moore was about to approach her only to pause when she walked over to Ash's group.

''Nice work, Ash. You really are skilled.'' She praised.

''Hey, thanks. Back at you.'' He replied. ''Hard to believe you've just recently taken over this place, you really made us work hard for that win.''

Flannery laughed ''Well, I just really went for it. Just be glad you guys haven't seen me back in the first couple of weeks I started, it was a disaster.''

''Now, now, everyone has to start somewhere. If anything, this proves how far you've come since then.'' Mr. Moore stated.

''Exactly.'' Brock agreed and Flannery beamed in response.

''So anyway,'' She added. ''This is where I usually give a badge but...see, I've never had two challengers come at the same time so...''

''Hey, it's fine, Flannery. That stuff can wait till we're all done here.'' Ash interjected. ''Besides, I think you're going to need two badges in the end.''

''Oh?'' Flannery's lips twitched while Wally spared him a grateful look for the vote of confidence. ''We'll see.''

* * *

They agreed to take a short break before starting the second battle. And so it was right after that everyone gathered at the field while Flannery and Wally faced off. Mr. Moore called the rules, which were the same as the first battle before starting them off.

Both competitors proceeded to send out their pokemon at his signal.

''Houndour, come on out!''

''Let's go, Electrike!''

The Dark pokemon and the Lightning pokemon emerged from their pokeballs, ready to battle.

''Fire Fang!'' Flannery ordered.

''Thunder Fang, Electrike!'' Wally called. Houndour and Electrike attacked, their fangs wreathed in flames and electricity respectively but it seemed as if their strengths were even.

''All right, try using Smog!'' Flannery said next.

Houndour breathed out a cloud of fithy gases that went at Electrike but Wally had him getting out of its path with Quick Attack and follow this up with a Thunder Wave. Houndour seemed a bit stunned with the consecutive attacks but managed to shake it off.

Flannery smirked ''Good! Now use Feint Attack!''

Suddenly, Houndour disappeared only to reappear a few seconds letter and strike Electrike from his left.

''What was that?'' May asked.

''Feint Attack lets the user strike from where they don't expect it.'' Brendan replied.

She frowned when Houndour pulled the maneuver off a second time, wondering how Wally would deal with that.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long to find out.

''Prepare a Shock Wave but don't fire it yet.'' The boy ordered. Electrike nodded, they had done something similar in their last few training sessions. It was due to Brock suggesting it would help improve Electrike's control over electricity. They figured he was likely right to think so, Electrike had trouble with the idea at first but it was much easier now. The lightning pokemon even felt that he was able to control more power since then. That training even helped him learn a new move.

Wally waited until Houndour appeared to make the call ''Now!''

The electric attack struck the Dark pokemon as expected, making Ash grin ''All right!''

''Whoa, nice! That was a good way to handle it.'' Brendan smiled.

''Shadow Ball!'' Flannery called next.

''Dodge it and use Charge!''

The redhead grimaced when Electrike avoided the attack with ease, deciding to have Houndour try again. The second attempt was more succesful, blowing Electrike back. However, the Lightning pokemon regained his balance and landed safely.

''Now use Shock Wave!'' Wally ordered.

Flannery tried to think fast ''Will-o-wisp!''

Houndour conjured a slew of blue fireballs which flew towards Electrike, who unleashed a Shock Wave in return. The second attack, boosted by Charge, not only tore through the blue flames with ease but even struck Houndour down.

Flannery grimaced, feeling a measure of relief when Houndour was able to get up. She could tell that this last blow had caused a lot of damage and so doubted that her pokemon could go on much longer. It was best to end this quickly and she had one way to do so. ''All right then, use Overheat!''

Just like with Torkoal, Houndour sent a powerful stream of fire that Electrike proceeded to dodge on command. Flannery grit her teeth, knowing that her gamble had failed. She called for a Shadow Ball next as Wally had Electrike use Quick Attack. Since Houndour was weakened because of the battle and Overheat's side effect, the attack wasn't as effective so Electrike was able to push through it with the momentum from Quick Attack.

Everyone watched as the two pokemon soon collided while using Fire Fang and Thunder Fang. At first, nothing happened but then Electrike stumbled, letting them see that the Fire Fang had burned him. But before anyone knew it, Houndour's stance grew hazy before the Dark pokemon finally collapsed.

Mr. Moore observed the pokemon for a moment before declaring Electrike the winner.

''Yes!'' May beamed.

''Keep it up, you guys!'' Max cheered along with Pikachu while the rest smiled.

Flannery let out a breath as she returned Houndour ''Thanks, have a good rest.''

Electrike cringed as he rejoined Wally, smiling as the boy patted his head before holding out his pokeball ''You were great out there. Make sure to rest up now.''

Both competitors soon put their minds back on the battle. Flannery sent out a Camerupt while Wally called on Ralts.

Max looked a bit unnerved at the sight of the Eruption pokemon, remembering their last encounter with the species. At least this one seemed much calmer than Vicky's...

''All right, begin!'' Mr. Moore called.

Flannery quickly took the initiative ''Camerupt, Heavy Slam!''

''Teleport!'' Wally said at once. He knew how dangerous that move could be and so believed this would be the best way to deal with it.

''That could've been bad...'' Brendan trailed off as Ralts appeared behind Camerupt.

Ash was startled at the force of the move ''What was that?''

''Heavy Slam's a move that causes damage depending on how much the user outweighs the opponent.'' Max informed. ''They really dodged a bullet back there.''

''No kidding...'' He agreed.

Ralts proceeded to blast the pokemon with a Psybeam at Wally's order. Flannery responded by having Camerupt retaliate with a Flame Charge that knocked the Feeling pokemon down but Ralts still got up.

''Use Future Sight!'' Wally called.

''Fire Blast!'' Flannery said quickly but she was surprised when Ralts was able to get out of the way, though not unscathed. Future Sight took effect faster than she had assumed it would. ''All right, now Flame Charge!''

Ralts was able to dodge with ease this time. However, Flame Charge was also a boon for Camerupt though as it provided a boost in speed, thus Flannery decided to try it again.

''Use Confusion!'' Wally ordered. Once Camerupt came to a pause as it was about to circle back towards Ralts, the Eruption pokemon was trapped in a field of psychic energy that lifted it into the air before its opponent threw it down. ''Psybeam!''

''Magnitude!'' Flannery countered once her pokemon got up.

The field shook as a result of the oncoming quake, throwing Ralts back. Flannery capitalized on this and ordered Camerupt to use Heavy Slam. But Ralts was able to roll out of the way in time, much to her chagrin.

''This isn't looking good...'' May trailed off as they watched Ralts and Camerupt use Psybeam and Fire Blast. Since both pokemon were at a distance from each other, they were pushed by the explosion the moves caused upon colliding. Camerupt was strong and Ralts would surely be getting tired at this rate. Not only was Electrike wornout from the previous battle, but he was at a huge disadvantage against a ground type like Camerupt.

''It's not over. They're still in this.'' Ash reminded, keeping his eyes on the field.

''Use Magnitude!'' Flannery ordered. Once again, Camerupt created another ground shaking quake, though this one seemed somewhat weaker than the first use. As a result, Ralts was thrown somewhat off balance but still managed to stay up.

''Psybeam!''

The blast pushed Camerupt a little back but the pokemon stomped a foot and grunted, its eyes narrowed. Similarly, Ralts winced a little but remained firm in his stance, determined to keep going.

''Ralts sure is hanging there...'' Brendan trailed off as the battle continued.

Brock nodded, he had a feeling he knew what this was about recalling how the trouble at Mt. Chimney had left Wally's pokemon, shaken. Ralts and Electrike had flat out refused to leave his side for long after that. Brock suspected that the only reason Feebas hadn't done the same was that it wasn't good for her stay out of water for long, but there was no denying how the three had grown more protective of him.

Wally had picked up on this as well and it was with his reassurances that the trio started feeling better. The entire deal had brought them closer as a team and Brock figured it was just another reason fueling Ralts' determination. He didn't doubt for a second that the Feeling pokemon had taken the ordeal the hardest.

As it happened, he was right.

Ralts may have met Wally only by chance but it was something that made him very happy. He knew Wally was kind after being drawn by the emotions he sensed back in the forest, all he came to learn after that just proved it. The boy was still learning about being a trainer but he did his best for Ralts' sake, so far as the Feeling pokemon was concerned, that was more than enough. They had worked hard and grew stronger together and eventually became great friends.

He had failed to protect Wally at Mt. Chimney and the boy had gotten really hurt saving him and Feebas. That had felt horrible and it had meant a lot that Wally had still tried to check up on them. It had just motivated them in training to grow stronger. He had vowed to himself and his teammates to do better from that day forward, so he would not let them or himself down here now.

Ralts took a step forward as Camerupt was knocked back by Future Sight, feeling a power that had been gathering recently welling up. Sending his opponent back with Confusion, he released it with a cry and before anyone knew it, his form was surrounded with white light.

''Whoa, what...?'' Max stared, could it be...?

Ash perked up ''Ralts is evolving!''

Wally could only look on in growing amazement as his first pokemon grew in height, a pair of appendages appearing on his head as he raised his arms. The light cleared, revealing the newly evolved Kirlia.

''Awesome!'' Brendan grinned.

''Wow!'' A smiling May held up her pokedex at Kirlia and it buzzed.

 _''Kirlia, the Emotion pokemon, it is said that a Kirlia that is exposed to the positive emotions of its Trainer grows beautiful. This Pokemon controls psychokinetic powers with its highly developed brain.''_

''Kirlia, you...'' Wally trailed off as the pokemon looked back at him with a bright smile. He couldn't help but smile in return.

Kirlia spun around happily, surprising everyone by scattering a multitude of water droplets around himself. The water proceeded to glow, bathing Kirlia in their light.

''What...?'' Flannery uttered, bewildered. Judging by the others' expressions, they didn't know what this was either.

But her grandfather did ''That's Life Dew, it's a healing move!''

The redhead grimaced ''Camerupt, Flame Charge!''

''Dodge it!'' Wally called back.

Kirlia twirled with grace, dodging the charging opponent easily. Wally was about to call for a counterstrike but then Kirlia raised an arm, Camerupt was easily raised in the air by the force he generated then. Kirlia spun his arm, spinning Camerupt around as a result before tossing it down.

''I think Kirlia learned Psychic!'' Brock smiled.

''All right!'' Ash exclaimed.

''Magnitude!'' Flannery called.

''Teleport!'' Wally ordered, Kirlia appeared behind Camerupt after the attack was done. ''Now use Psybeam!''

''Use Fire Blast!'' Flannery countered.

''Kirlia, Psychic on the Fire Blast and send it back!'' Wally ordered.

The girl's eyes widened when her pokemon's attack was frozen in midair before Kirlia hurled it back, striking Camerupt in tandem with the Psybeam. ''No!''

Camerupt pulled itself to its feet ''All right, use Rock Tomb!'' Growling, it hurled a number of boulders at Kirlia, who was more than ready and able to dodge with the use of Teleport. But that left him vulnerable to the following Flame Charge.

Noticing how close the pokemon were now, Flannery decided to have Camerupt use Fire Blast. It worked but Kirlia was able to push through the pain the attack caused and use Psychic on his trainer's command.

The powerful attack suspended Camerupt in mid-air before Kirlia threw it down hard. Moments later, the Eruption pokemon fell, unable to continue.

''Camerupt is down, Kirlia wins. This match goes to Wally!'' Mr. Moore declared to a number of cheers.

The boy began to smile as this sank in, happily hugging Kirlia when he hurried over. ''Thanks a lot, you were amazing.''

Kirlia beamed back, just as delighted with this turnout. The two turned as the others came over.

''Kirlia, you evolved, that was all so cool!'' Max enthused.

''Yeah, you guys were awesome out there!'' Ash added.

''I'll say, way to go!'' Brock agreed while Pikachu congratulated Kirlia.

''Thanks.'' Wally smiled back, feeling happy and more grateful than ever for his friends and pokemon. It was all thanks to them that they had come this far after all.

''Well Ash, you were right after all.'' Flannery stated as she walked over with a tray that held two flame shaped badges. ''Now, after those amazing battles, I'm happy to present you guys with the Lavaridge gym's Heat Badge.''

Ash and Wally thanked her before picking the items up. The two exchanged looks and smiled before showing the badges to their pokemon, who were just as thrilled with the victory. Their visit to this gym sure had some unexpected twists and turns but as they say, all's well that ends well.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. I really wasn't sure how to handle this chapter. At first, I figured I'd have Ash and Wally go for a double battle but nah, I want to save that for later._

 _I've been contemplating how to have Ralts evolve for some time now but in the end, I feel that this was for the best. I know what I want him to become in end but he won't evolve again for a while. Since I've been looking up stuff on Gen 8, I figure I'd try to integrate some elements here. I most likely won't go using Dynamax and stuff but I like the idea of using some of the new attacks from there, hence Kirlia's Life Dew._

 _Hm, well from here on out, it'll be onwards to Fallarbor for May's contest before a stop at Meteor Falls and then Rustboro. I needed a way to get Wally over for a battle as I intend to have Dewford be one of the later gyms for him. Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_


	21. Chapter 21

_Advance shipper: Thanks! Well, I'm pretty sure pairing Wally with Dawn would have probably worked if I make a Sinnoh story but I don't think I want to go that far. Pairing with Verity never crossed my mind though, that's a great idea. If I do use her though, it'll probably be much later down the line. Your review gave me an idea about how to integrate Verity into the story. I haven't watched the I Choose you movie so I doubt I'll be using that continuity anyway, it'll just complicate things. But for now, I just want to think about this carefully._

 _Mighty ranger 1: Thank you, that's nice to hear. I know just how you feel, I'm really excited to see the episode with Korrina too. And yeah, now that I think about it, she is similar to May in some ways, huh? Like I mentioned, I just thought the idea of pairing Wally and Dawn was cool but that's all. Nothing's decided yet, though I think having the pairing be with Verity instead is pretty interesting. I don't know about Ash getting a Dragonite yet, if it does happen, it'll be in Kanto. I want to give him a Riolu though, either way both will happen later on. Someone suggested an idea similar to yours around Riolu and the 8th movie and I like it, I might use it later seeing as Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is the one of the only two movies that I intend to use in the story at this point. But yeah, I'll definitely have Ash and May dance in that party as I really thought that was a waste for them not to, and I'll include more advance shipping moments when I feel the time is right._

 _Cobb: Hey, thanks. I'm happy to hear that!_

 _Guest: Yeah, it would be far in the future but for the reasons mentioned in the above responses, I don't think I'm going to pair them._

 _Pokemon fan: Wow, thanks a lot! It's really nice to know that people think I'm getting better as the story goes along. Hm, Ash and Koharu, huh? I like the idea and I actually thought of a way to start the story. I'll publish it once I work out the details. It's just that like you said, we don't know much about her. It kinda seems like maybe she's just not that interested in pokemon because she didn't really interact with them much and it even took Yamper some time to get along with her. It probably doesn't help that people are expecting her to be a professor just like her dad without even asking what she wants. I feel that interacting with Ash would really help her warm up to them. Thanks for sharing the idea with me._

* * *

Ash, Wally, May, Brock and Max hung around with Brendan and Flannery for a while the day after the gym battle. All were content to simply take it easy after the busy couple of days they had lately and simply spent time together.

Needless to say, Brock didn't quite give up flirting with Flannery despite Max's attempts to stop him. It was Mr. Moore who put a stop to that behavior in the end, not wanting anyone to trouble his granddaughter.

The next morning, at the pokemon center...

May walked over to Ash and Brendan, who were near the cafeteria ''Morning!'' The two greeted her back, which was when she noticed a certain friend down in the dumps nearby. ''...Is he still sulking?''

The two nodded in tandem, glancing at Brock. Refusing to give up, the breeder had tried to chat Nurse Joy up but wound up with the same rate of success. Which was to say, none at all.

''...You gotta give him credit, he's relentless.'' Brendan stated.

''Yeah, a little too much...anyway, where are Max and Wally?'' May wanted to know.

''Max offered to get us some seats in the cafeteria. Wally's talking to his parents. He wanted to tell them about the gym battle. They got along so well with Kirlia before, I think they'll be thrilled.'' Ash stated.

''Oh, yeah...'' The brunette remembered how happy Vincent and Diana were after meeting Ralts. She didn't doubt that things were going well on that front.

* * *

Ash and May were right on the money. Wally's parents had been delighted when their son had brought them up to speed, even more so to see the newly evolved Kirlia. They had gladly congratulated their only child and his first pokemon for their progress.

''Well, it's great to hear that you're doing so well, kiddo. I don't remember seeing you this happy in a long time.'' Vincent spoke up after Diana headed off to check up on their food. ''That's quite the good group of friends you have there, huh?''

Wally smiled and nodded ''They're the best.''

It was then that he noticed something odd. There was a familiar item on the shelf behind his father, a pedestal of a statue that had been around for years.

The boy's brow furrowed ''Dad, isn't that the gift Mom got from Grandpa?''

Vincent sighed as he picked it up ''Yeah...I wasn't there when it happened but I think your Mom had some friends around and it looked like things got messy. Her friends are trying to make it up to her, but stilll...I know she's trying not to show it but this really saddened her.''

Wally could understand why, his grandfather had died when he was young. Diana got along wonderfully with him though and the statue had been his last present before he passed away. She had cared for it a great deal so this had to be saddening...

This got his mind running, was there something he could do to help his mother now?

* * *

After having breakfast, it was time to go...

Max raised an eye ''You're going deeper into the desert route? It doesn't look like there's much of anything there.''

''Yeah, the weather is an absolute pain so people don't usually go unless they have to. I'm helping Dad with his research over there.'' Brendan returned. ''Not sure if it's true but there's a rumor that one can get a fossil from there.''

Ash blinked ''Seriously?''

''Even if it were true, I think actually pulling that off would be anything but easy.'' Brock stated.

''Sentiments exactly.'' Brendan nodded. ''Dad isn't all that convinced either but since it's been years since he or any of his assistants were there, he wants to see what changed.''

The breeder nodded ''Makes sense.''

''So where is the place?'' Ash inquired.

Brendan took out his PokeNav before opening up a map and tapping said area. ''There's a lot of sandstorms around there, you can hardly see much if you aren't careful. So I bought goggles just in case.''

''Yeah, I don't think we're missing much.'' Max stated.

''Can't argue with that...'' Brendan shrugged. ''...you guys are taking Mr. Moore's suggestion, right?''

''Yup, it's a good idea.'' The young boy replied.

The former gym leader had told them about a cable car that had been added recently to Mt. Chimney. Its path landed nearer to the other side of the mountain, bringing them much closer to Fallarbor.

''So I guess I'll see you guys around.'' Brendan went on.

Ash nodded ''Hey, let's have a battle when we meet again. Whaddya say?''

''Hey, after seeing you guys battle, I'm totally up for it!'' The boy returned, grinning. ''See you around!''

* * *

At Mt. Chimney's peak, the group received a warm welcome from the workers at the cable car station. The workers had even bought some gifts for the group to show gratitude for their help during the Team Magma and Team Aqua battle.

They were on the way to Fallarbor shortly afterwards, with Max accessing the PokeNav's map to find out more about this area.

''Guys, is the place up ahead looking really gray to you or am I seeing things?'' Ash asked as he squinted at the area they were approaching.

''You're not, I remember Mr. Moore mentioned that soot gets scattered from Mt. Chimney to somewhere near Fallarbor.'' May recalled.

''Yup, that's it.'' Max affirmed. ''It used to fall all over the route but now it's in certain spots. Flannery said that the soot can be used to make a variety of things in a shop.''

His sister blinked ''Oh yeah? Where's that?''

''It's pretty close. Once we're through this area, we'll be in Fallarbor.'' He answered.

''About that...'' The two looked at Wally. ''...can we go to that workshop first?''

''Sure, but why?'' Ash tilted his head.

''See...'' The green haired boy proceeded to explain about the talk with his parents this morning. He had one idea to help his mother, so he would try. He had told his father about it and the man happily stated that it was a great idea.

It had been a stroke of luck that they were passing through here and he wanted to make the most of it.

''...I thought about it over a lot and I want to get her a charm from the shop. It's not meant to be a replacement for the statue. I just thought...maybe if I could get her something from this shop, it could cheer her up.'' He finished.

May smiled brightly ''That's so sweet of you!''

''It's a great idea.'' Max added.

''We'd happy to help, Wally.'' Brock assured.

''Totally, let's make sure your mom gets an awesome present!'' Ash grinned, Pikachu chimed in with a nod.

Wally smiled, feeling gratitude well up within him for having friends like them ''Yeah, thanks.''

* * *

And so they set off for the shop. A good part of the route they were entering was mostly small plains with ledges and some patches of grass here and there. There were some tall trees that served as some shade from the soot and the sunlight. The route was rather quiet, leaving them to wonder if it was always like this.

Wally had taken Brock's suggestion and wrapped a tissue around his nose and mouth. Truthfully, he didn't like the idea much but there was no denying it could help. The boy had made sure to keep his inhaler after hearing what this area was like. His illness hadn't caused that much trouble so far, it was best to try keeping things that way.

It didn't take them long to find the glass workshop. They were able to meet up with the owner of the place, a man named Greg.

''Ah, I see...'' The man began to smile after he was brought up to speed. ''...I'll be glad to take care of such a nice request. Just a couple of things, do you know what you want this charm to look like?''

Wally replied positively and explained more about his idea, the man nodding along as he made some notes. Max spoke up once he was finished ''So what's the other thing?''

''I haven't been able to get much work done today,'' The man admitted. ''My assistant, Neal, went to collect some soot. Thing is, I can't even get started with the amount I have now. it's been hours and I can't find Neal at all.''

''Okay, then we'll find him for you.'' Ash said at last, the others nodding along to this.

''Do you have any idea where he could have gone?'' Wally inquired.

Greg crossed his arms as he thought it over ''Actually...''

* * *

The group sent out some of their pokemon to help with the search. Since Greg had also been able to supply a description of Neal, they had more to go on. Taillow, Swablu and Beautifly took to the skies. Feebas swam up the river to help while Treecko and Kirlia were sent to keep an extra eye out.

As they went about, Kirlia suddenly stopped, seeming troubled.

''What's up?'' Ash blinked.

Kirlia pointed ahead, where they could see a few men riding motorcycles. They seemed oddly aggravated, one of them making a remark about their lack of success so far. The others merely tell him to keep going, riding on and scaring a few wild pokemon in the process.

It quickly became clear to those looking on that whatever this goal was, it had their full attention and they didn't seem to care what would happen in the process. They had run roughshod all over and the signs of the damage they were causing were clear for all to see.

''What're they even doing all this for?'' Ash couldn't help but wonder as the men headed off.

''No idea but let's just keep going. Neal went in the opposite direction, remember?'' Max said. The older boy nodded back, following him and the others.

* * *

''Wow!''

The sudden cry brought the group's attention to Brock, who had dashed away towards a girl around his age with a Numel near her.

''Lovely lady, you're a treat for these sore eyes!'' He declared, missing the girl's surprise and confusion in return

''Here we go again.'' May groaned.

And indeed, for Brock went on trying to chat her up with his usual flair. The girl could hardly get a few words in before he finally asked her name.

''Oh...ah, it's Madeleine.'' She managed.

''A classy name to fit your elegance. Now...'' Brock never got further than that as a fed up Max grabbed his ear and began pulling him away.

''Are you ever going to learn some restraint?'' The boy grumbled, ignoring Brock's groan.

''So...ah, what're you all doing here? People have learned to avoid this route as much as possible lately.'' Madeleine stated.

May blinked ''How come?''

''A bunch of hooligans have been coming here for the past couple of days. It just looked like they were stirring up trouble but apparently they're looking to get a Skarmory.'' The girl returned.

''Wait, there are Skarmory around here?'' Ash clarified. It was surprising so far as he was concerned since he hadn't seen the species since his time in the Johto region.

Madeleine nodded ''They're especially rare. I heard that they're stubborn and hard to catch because of it.''

''Well, we're actually looking for someone.'' May informed. ''Have you seen a guy around Ash's height, with brown hair and a yellow shirt?''

Madeleine began to think ''Ah, that assistant from the workshop, right? I did see him hours ago. It looked like he was heading off to collect soot.''

''Oh, do you know which way he went then?'' Max added.

* * *

Shortly after taking Madeleine's directions, they found Taillow, who had stopped in surprise upon noticing a pokemon battle taking place.

It was between two of the bikers they had seen earlier and a Skarmory. The steel and flying type was surrounded by a couple of Geodude and a Makuhita.

''That's it, keep up the pressure!''

''Yeah, we've gotta catch this one for Big bro!''

The three pokemon attacked on their trainer's commands, only for Skarmory to blow them all back by using Air Cutter. One of the Geodude got up to use Rock Tomb but Skarmory cleaved through the rocks that fell near it with Steel Wing. It fired off a Hyper beam that knocked the Geodude out.

Brock arched an eye. Something wasn't right here, this Skarmory...

Ash scowled as the men began to yell at their pokemon to get up ''Hey, knock it off! Three against one isn't fair!''

The men looked over at them, one of them sneered as he spoke ''Run along, brats. This ain't your buisness.''

''Well, I'm making it mine! You're nothing but a bunch of cowards!'' The Kanto trainer returned defiantly.

The man glared ''What was that?!''

Unexpectedly, it was May who answered ''You heard him, you're no better than bullies. You've already lost, this just being cruel to your pokemon. What kind of trainers are you?''

''We'll show you.'' The man retorted, grabbing a pokeball as one of his companions did the same.

''You're not ruining this for us!'' Said biker added as they tossed their pokeball, releasing a Koffing and a Golbat.

''You wanna take those jerks down a peg or two, May?'' Ash asked.

''Definitely.'' She returned. Terrible trainers like them always got on her nerves.

The two got Taillow and Torchic ready before the fight got underway.

As the Koffing was about to use Sludge, May thought fast and had Torchic blast it directly in the face with Ember, even burning its mouth in the process.

Koffing's trainer scowled ''You little...all right, use Tackle!''

May smirked ''Another Ember, Torchic!'' The counter was not only effective but it proved why the tackle had been an especially bad idea. ''Now use Quick Attack!''

Her opponent scowled ''Dodge it!''

Koffing was able to get out of the way in time, allowing its trainer to order a Gyro Ball. The move hit the mark but Torchic tanked it and kept going, slamming Koffing with a Quick Attack.

That was when something strange happened. Torchic inhaled deeply before releasing a big sphere of flames that exploded when it made contact with Koffing, knocking it out.

May was takenaback ''What was that?''

''May, I think Torchic learned Flame Burst!'' Max told her enthusiastically.

The girl's face lit up as her starter ran up to her ''Way to go!'' Torchic chirped happily back.

Golbat's trainer scowled at his partner's defeat before hollering ''Poison Fang now!''

Golbat flew at Taillow, its fangs gaining a dangerous glow but Ash had his pokemon dodge with Quick Attack before striking back with Wing Attack. Golbat's trainer attempted to have it use Wing Attack as well but Taillow was simply too fast for that to work.

It was just as Ash and Taillow were finishing up the battle that Wally happened to notice Kirlia stiffen, seeming alarmed as he looked around. The boy followed his pokemon's line of sight, and that was when he saw it...

''Good job!'' Ash exclaimed once Taillow knocked Golbat out with Quick Attack. Taillow nodded back, though both quickly noticed Pikachu's ears perk up as he seemed to pick up on something nearby. ''What's up, buddy?''

Pikachu pointed to the grass before Taillow and Torchic, calling out a warning. Just then, a Linoone leapt out, poised to attack.

''Look out!'' Max called out, alarmed.

Wally's eyes narrowed ''Psychic, now!''

Kirlia stepped in front of Taillow and Torchic, his eyes glowing blue as he called on his powers to stop the pokemon its place. The Emotion pokemon wasted no time in slamming it hard a second later, allowing him to take the attacker down with a Psybeam.

''You lousy creeps!'' May glowered at the duo of bikers, who were stunned that their gambit had failed. But seeing how badly they had failed, the two felt that they had no choice but to retreat.

''You're going to pay for this!'' They called.

* * *

Around the same time...

Feebas continued swimming in the river, stopping for a few moments when she noticed her trainer and the others making their way through nearby. But then a yelp caught her attention, making her swim to the other side of the river to see a boy trying to get away from a Skarmory, who was glowering at him.

Feebas blinked, recalling the description they had received earlier. That had to be Neal.

The boy continued to retreat slowly, nervously eyeing Skarmory. Feebas was relieved to see that the pokemon left things at that. Neal stiffened as he realized that he was nearing the river. Feebas proceeded to subtly use an Ice Beam to give the boy a makeshift path. Neal seemed surprised but he quickly decided to use it, running over to the other side of the bank.

Feebas glanced at Skarmory, who had yet to move. Just what was going on here?

* * *

Ash let out a yelp as Skarmory snapped its beak at him, giving a dangerous glare. ''H-hey, I'm just trying to help!''

Skarmory merely growled back, obviously not convinced. May bit her lip ''Ash, I don't think this is going to work...''

''But I can't just leave Skarmory like that!''

''I don't think Skarmory's up to dealing with people after what those jerks did.'' Max stated.

Ash frowned ''So what do we do?''

It was then that the three noticed Wally digging around in his bag before taking out two Sitrus berries. ''Kirlia, I think Skarmory would be more open to dealing with pokemon. Would you pass those to it?''

Kirlia nodded and used his psychic powers to send both berries near the steel bird, who seemed surprised.

Brock smiled at Wally with approval before looking at Skarmory ''You can consider that a gesture of good will. You're blocking that path for a reason, aren't you?'' Skarmory's eyes widened.

''We won't come any closer if you don't want us to.'' Wally added.

''Hold on, what?'' May also picked up on Skarmory's surprise, proving that they were right. This left her with a question. ''How did you guys know?''

''The battle made it clear, Skarmory would have had a lot of maneuverability and finished the battle faster but it only just stayed in that area the whole time. That's rather strange, even for a territorial pokemon.'' Brock stated.

May blinked ''Now that you mention it...'' Yeah, looking back, it WAS odd how the pokemon seemed intent on just sticking to that area before them.

''We're not like those people, far from it. We'd like to help if you'd let us.'' Wally stated.

Pikachu and Kirlia chimed in with their own agreements, trying to reassure the pokemon that it would be fine.

Skarmory didn't respond for a few moments, seemingly thinking this over. Then, finally it picked up the Sitrus berries and nodded at them, motioning them to come along.

* * *

Feebas found them shortly afterwards, having been making her way over through the current. Neal had also decided to hurry along, hoping to get back to the shop. The water type was about to try explaining what she saw when an alarmed Neal yelped ''Hey, it's one of those brutes!''

Skarmory was obviously irked to hear this but Brock spoke up before it could respond ''Now there's no need to say it like that.''

''It's just true, you don't know what those things are like!'' The boy retorted.

''Wait, you mean there's another Skarmory here?'' May clarified.

It was Feebas who answered, nodding before pointing at the area just ahead.

There were in fact two more Skarmory present. One of them was on the ground, collapsed with its eyes closed in pain. The other kept watch, pushing a couple of berries over but to no avail. It didn't take them long to note how the first steel bird pokemon was injured badly, with its companions both trying to tend to it.

''No wonder Skarmory was so stubborn about this...'' Max trailed off as understanding sank in for them.

''Yeah, those two are just trying to help their friend.'' May added. With the way those bikers were trying to find them, she wouldn't be surprised if they had something to do with what had befallen the injured pokemon.

''Hey Skarmory, I know you're okay with it now but can you tell your friend to let us help?'' Ash asked the pokemon who brought them here.

''For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure I can patch your other friend up.'' Brock offered.

Nodding, the flying and steel type looked over at his friend and they began to talk. This was followed shortly by some irritated squawks that proved how the other Skarmory felt about this. Eventually, Skarmory stepped back and nodded again at the group, showing that it was all right now.

Neal was unnerved ''You guys sure about this...?''

''There's no reason not to-wait a minute...'' Max began to frown. ''...you tried to catch one of them, didn't you?''

''I thought it would be a good idea.'' Neal recoiled when both Skarmory glared at him. ''Okay, okay, I'm sorry!''

Wally decided to intervene before tempers ran high again ''Let's just try to keep calm. What's important is helping your friend over there, right? Give us a chance, please. None of us mean any harm.''

''Pretty sure we're the ones who have to worry about any harm...'' Neal muttered, only to be silent by the glares Ash and Max sent his way. They did not need him complicating things now.

''All right, just leave this to me.'' Brock declared.

* * *

Brock was indeed able to greatly help the third Skarmory's recovery. Thus, with everything settled, they left the trio of birds be and returned to the workshop.

Greg was relieved to see that assistant was safe and sound. Though he was less than impressed when he asked a few questions to find out what happened. For Neal had actually gotten a very good amount of soot like he was supposed to. He had seen the Skarmory for the first time in quite a while so he decided to battle one and catch it. His pokemon had been defeated with relative ease, forcing him to retreat. That lead to him finding the injured Skarmory and consequently trying to catch it, which wound up with both of the pokemon's friends ensuring that he would back off.

''Honestly, Neal...you didn't see anything wrong with pressing ahead in a situation like that? The last thing that pokemon needed was to have to deal with someone trying to catch it. It's this careless behavior that often gets you in trouble.'' Greg chided.

The boy lowered his head ''Sorry, Boss...''

The man sighed and looked back at the group ''At any rate, thank you for the help. Neal got the soot so I can make that gift, Wally.''

''That'd be great.'' The green haired boy returned.

Greg smiled ''I'll start working on it right away. You're welcome to stay with us now.''

* * *

They gratefully took Greg up on the offer, waiting for him to fulfill their deal. As they took some time relax and eat, the bikers had returned. But it wasn't actually trouble this time, for their apparent leader hadn't actually know what they were up to and in fact had come to apologize for the trouble they caused. He had indeed been interested in catching a Skarmory but would only do so out of his own ability. It was honestly rather unexpected but seeing him chew his men out for their behavior certainly drove the point home.

Eventually, things settled down again and talk began about their future plans. Which naturally included the contest that was to take place at their next destination...

''You ready to go, May?'' Ash inquired.

''Absolutely. I can hardly wait.'' was her response. She felt that she had been improving over time and her first win in Verdanturf made for an excellent boost of confidence. ''I'm going to win my second ribbon!''

The boy grinned ''Hey, that's the spirit. I bet you're going to do great.''

''Thanks!'' May beamed.

''Don't go getting cocky now, you never know what's going to happen.'' Max stated. The brunette huffed, sparing him an annoyed look.

Wally spoke up then ''Well, ah...there's nothing wrong with having faith. It'd be hard to give it all you got if you think you're going to lose, right?''

Max wasn't about to argue with that ''...I guess so.''

''For the record, May, I think Ash's right. Things will be all right.'' The boy added.

''Same here. I imagine we all feel the same way...'' Brock's lips into a small smile as he added. ''...even if some of us may not be as willing to admit it as others.''

May laughed a bit as she saw her brother scowl at this ''Thanks, you guys.''

* * *

Greg finished the charm shortly before sunset. It was of an elaborate star, gleaming as it reflected some of the light coming through the window. Overall, it was a beautiful piece of work and everyone agreed it would make for a lovely gift. Greg received the praise for this work bashfully, surprising most of those present when he turned down any payment. Evidently, he considered what the group had done as enough so he was just happy with this. Wally couldn't help but smile as he eyed the charm. He and Vincent had agreed it should be a surprise but he really hopes his mother would like it.

After thanking Greg, the group continued on its way. They had soon arrived in Fallarbor, first heading to the pokemon center. May's next contest was the day after tomorrow. Everyone wanted to make sure to be well-rested, particularly May, who was determined to give all she had in the contest.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _With how the recent chapters have been, I wanted to take it a little easy here. But yeah, I won't drag this anymore. The contest starts in the next chapter._

 _I figured I'd try fiddling around with some elements from the game here. I know the glass shop only makes some items like the flutes and stuff but I figured it wouldn't hurt to expand a little. When I played Emerald, Skarmory was a real pain in the neck to catch. I'm not sure if it was just some bad luck on my part or something more but I figured I'd make use of that. I remember that Torchic learns Flame Burst in the later games so there was no reason not to try that here._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story. Till next time!_


	22. Chapter 22

_Advance shipper: Thanks. At this point the only movies I want to use are Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. I may use others but I'm not sure yet. I like what you're saying though, I wanted to have Ash and May take care of Manaphy together. They'd already be a couple around then by the way. Yeah, I think Manaphy would definitely bring them closer._

 _Cobb: Hey, thanks._

* * *

Preparations were well under way in Fallarbor Town for the contest. A number of coordinators had gathered to participate in the event that was due to take place tomorrow.

May was among that number, having registered and started training early in the morning. She smiled to herself, perhaps it was the confidence boost she gained from her first contest victory but she felt more ready than ever to win this contest as well.

Ash joined her ''So you know who you're gonna use?''

She grinned ''Wait and see.''

The two were startled then by a cry of delight. It brought their attention to Brock as he dashed around the hall, flitting from one female coordinator to another.

Ash rolled his eyes while May sighed ''Just let him get it out of his system, it's the easier way.''

''More like the only way, I doubt we can stop him.'' He returned.

Just as the two of them and Pikachu met up with Wally and Max, they saw a strange shadow flying nearby. There were others who'd seen it too, causing them to scream in fright. As people tried to figure out what it was, their attention was soon drawn to a Medicham floating in mid-air with a red haired girl just below it. Both seemed to meditating and before anyone knew it, the pokemon was apparently exercising its powers for quite a few things began floating around. This ranged from Ash's hat, Max's glasses, a number of bags and even Pikachu.

The shadow appeared again just then, something Brock noticed. As he tried to figure out where it went though, the redheaded girl commanded Medicham to stop. Everything that had gotten caught up in the pokemon's psychic powers were returned to where they had been before.

''I'm sorry for the trouble, we were just practicing our meditation techniques.'' She told everyone. The people nearby soon left, satisfied that that would be the end of it.

''Oh, my!'' Brock cried out, all thoughts put to a halt upon seeing the girl. He quickly began flirting with her as per usual for him, only to be dragged away by an annoyed Max.

The redhead could only stare at Brock in confusion, having no idea what to make of that. May then spoke ''Don't mind him. Are you going to enter the contest tomorrow?''

The girl laughed loudly for a few moments, surprising May before she replied positively, introducing herself as Grace before more introductions were made all around.

''So how'd Medicham do all that earlier anyway? Is it all because of meditation?'' Ash wanted to know.

Grace smiled ''Yup! Actually, it took us a lot of time to get so used to it, especially after Medicham evolved but it worked out nicely...''

* * *

After having a little chat with Grace, the group seperated and went to different areas. Max was just passing by the pokemon center's counter when he heard a few trainers talk about some fossil maniac who lived in town. The comments were distasteful to say the least and it made him wonder what the man was really like, thus he decided to ask Nurse Joy.

''So someone found a fossil, Nurse Joy? Why are they acting like that? It's a big deal.'' Max stated.

''Because it's not that simple.'' She returned. ''I agree that their words were unkind but they're far from the first to express such a sentiment. The problem is that he hasn't found a single fossil in the first place. Keep in mind that he's been digging into the area around his house for almost two years now, still insisting that he would definitely find fossils here. He ignored any advice we tried to give him and in the end, all it got him was a lot of mockery. I think he's the only one who's convinced that he can find anything at this point.''

Max had to agree, there was something to be said for perseverance that let him last this long with no results. Wasn't there a better way about this though?

Shaking the thought, he thanked Nurse Joy and went to the field outside to join his sister.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu had gone shopping for supplies with Brock. They decided to leave the older boy to his own devices when he admitted to wanting to look around the market some more.

It was as they were heading back to the pokemon center that someone called out to Ash, making him stop and turn to find none other than Professor Cozmo.

''Good to see you again, Professor.''

''Likewise.'' Cozmo returned. ''So here for the contest, I take it?''

''Yup, May's preparing to compete.'' The Kanto trainer informed. ''What're you doing here though?''

''This is my hometown.'' was the response. ''After all that mess with Team Magma and Team Aqua, I decided to just take it easy.''

''That's a good idea.'' Ash stated. ''You know, we saw this place where people said that a meteorite apparently hit a long time ago nearby. Is that where you found the one you had back then?''

''I did find one small fragment there, years ago.'' Cozmo admitted. ''But no, that one was from Meteor Falls. My father was a researcher too, he had a piece of a meteorite that I studied for some time. It had me wanting to learn all the more about space. The one you saw was more or less just a stroke of luck, really.''

Ash couldn't help but wince a little as he remembered what happened to that particular rock. It seemed as if Cozmo was rather invested in all this and to have to give it up because of Team Magma and Team Aqua couldn't have been easy. He could tell by Pikachu's troubled look that his partner was thinking along similar lines.

Cozmo seemed to have picked up on their expressions ''Don't worry about that. If anything, I'm just glad you kids were there to stop me from making a terrible mistake. My work sure gave some surprises too, you know I even found a couple of Mega Stones and I sent them to Professor Birch. He told me quite a bit about you and your friends. Looks like you really came through for him too.''

Ash chuckled ''We tried, you know, we were actually talking to him about Mega Evolution just a couple of days ago...''

* * *

Wally was in the pokemon center's field with his pokemon. After doing some training, he had taken to grooming them.

He ran the brush over Electrike's fur one last time before letting out a breath ''That should do it.''

Electrike grinned and licked his hand in thanks, making the boy smile. Similarly, a happy Kirlia sat near the pond where Feebas and a few other water pokemon swam with vigor.

Electrike looked up a little at the sound of footsteps nearby, seeing a boy passing by. It was in fact, Drew. But it was Kirlia who recognized the boy from their run-in over in Verdanturf, quickly recalling what their friends mentioned about him.

Wally remembered him too ''Aren't you...?''

Drew raised an eye, finding the boy vaguely familiar. It took him a few moments to remember why ''Wait, I remember you. You were with May and her friends before.''

The boy nodded ''Drew, right? My name's Wally. I...I've wanted to be a trainer for a long time but I'm still pretty new to it all.''

''Oh yeah?'' Drew looked over his pokemon. ''For someone who's new at this, it looks like you're doing a decent job at taking care of them.''

''Ah, w-well, I'm trying, I've had lots of help anyway.'' Wally admitted, adding how people like Nurse Joy, Leon, Brock and Dr. Abby taught him plenty.

Drew came up short at the last name ''Wait, a top coordinator with a Delcatty named Joanie? But that sounds like...you know that legendary coordinator?''

Wally looked curious ''Yeah, she's a really good friend. Now that I think about it, May said something about that too...''

''She's the youngest top coordinator over the last ten years and only Lisia broke her record. She was known as one of the most brave and outgoing coordinators out there.''

The boy blinked ''Wow...'' Sure, they had known about Abby's career as a coordinator but nothing of this sort. Then again, it was just like her to downplay her achievements like that. ''...Dr. Abby told me a lot about contests and it got me interested in trying one. The more I thought about it, the more I know that I'm no where near ready. I'm just getting used to battling, contests must be an entirely different spectrum.''

Drew gave a small smirk ''You got that right. It's best to make sure you're ready, no one should take contests lightly. I just wish others would consider this too.'' Wally gave him a curious look at this but he waved a dismissing hand, idly remembering a few of the half baked performances he had seen. ''Don't mind that, just thinking out loud. You'd probably have a shot if you're thinking so carefully, especially if you and your pokemon keep working at it. I heard a couple of coordinators talking about a Feebas, which from the looks of things, must be yours. They were wondering if they should ask you to trade, it sounds like they were interested in getting Feebas to evolve so they could compete with a Milotic.''

Feebas barely held back a wince at this, Kirlia looked at her in surprise as he picked up on the spike of sad emotions this brought. The feeling pokemon was about to ask but Feebas was already looking away, clearly not willing to talk. Kirlia knew some pokemon may not be willing to evolve for any number of reasons. However, he couldn't imagine that they would have a reaction like Feebas' just now. What did this mean?

Naturally, the others had noticed this too. Electrike was frowning in confusion as he tried to talk to the water type while the boys were similarly puzzled.

Wally thought that this was worrying to say the least. It wasn't that he had an issue with any of his pokemon not wanting to evolve, really he hadn't even considered the possibility much before. He thought back to how beat up Feebas had been when they found her...did that have to with her strange reaction?

''...Well, they'd be wasting their time. I don't want to trade any of my pokemon.'' He said at last. Feebas clearly didn't want to touch upon the subject further and he wouldn't push her, but he would make his opinion clear. ''I don't plan on forcing any of my pokemon to evolve either, nothing's going to change that.''

Drew noted Feebas' surprise and growing pleasure at this statement. He had a feeling this statement had touched the heart of the matter somehow. ''Nothing wrong with that, some may see you as too soft though.''

''Yeah but that's how I feel about it.'' Wally stated. ''I never even thought I'd get to be a trainer. But here I am now, with those great friends, so I'll do what's right by them. I've decided that a long time ago.''

Drew's lips twitched, he could feel the weight in that statement and knew that there was much more to it than what it seemed ''Fair enough.''

* * *

May had been struggling with an idea she was sure would work brilliantly in contests if they could just pull it off, combination attacks. She had been going off to train on her own every now and then but unfortunately, their success rate was close to minimal.

''I don't know if this is going to work.'' May complained to her brother. ''I thought I really had something but it doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere.''

''Maybe you need sometime. It's a good idea.'' Max offered. ''It's just complicated-how about we try talking to Ash and the others when they get here? You could probably do with a few more opinions.''

''I guess so...for now, let's give it another shot.'' She added. ''Beautifly, Use String Shot and then Gust!''

This unfortunately turned out to be a bad idea as the Gust attack got the string all wound up and it fell down as a messy clump, making May groan.

''How about some other attacks then?'' Max started to think but then he noticed Ash, Pikachu, Wally and his pokemon coming over.

May, however, quickly spotted Drew with them and held back a groan, knowing this couldn't end well.

''How long were you guys there?'' She asked at last.

''Since we spotted Beautifly using that Gust, what was that about?'' Ash cocked his head.

''That's what I want to know.'' Drew added. ''I thought you were actually getting better and taking contests more seriously after you beat the Phantom but I guess that was wrong.''

May held back a wince, remembering the Slateport contest. Looking back, she really had been taking the competition far too lightly. It was only a while after the time that she really buckled down and worked to be a coordinator.

She was saved from having to respond when Wally spoke up ''It's a training accident, this can happen to anyone.''

Drew was about to respond only to be cut off by an annoyed May ''Don't waste your breath, Wally. This high and mighty attitude is just typical for him. Always acting like you're so much better-how many ribbons do you have anyway?''

The boy smirked in response before taking out his ribbon case, revealing three ribbons, to general surprise. He turned to leave but not before making one last comment ''You've got some catching up to do.''

Max sighed ''I guess somethings just don't change.''

''So hey, was Drew with you before, Wally?'' Ash asked.

The boy nodded ''We just wound up talking before-he was nice, there was nothing of this attitude before.''

''I find it hard to imagine Drew being nice.'' May grumbled. ''Does he enjoy pressing my buttons or something?''

Ash decided to bring the focus on something more important than speculation ''Ah, just leave it, May. Try to focus on training.''

''Right.''

* * *

A short while later, the strange shadow had made another appearance. As people tried to figure out what the deal was, it was Brock who found out the truth.

It took some trouble but he was eventually able to track the shadow down, finding a frightened Misdreavus hiding a corner.

The pokemon flinched when it noticed Brock, who began to smile ''Hey, it's okay. No one's going to hurt you. Looks like you've had a rough day there, how about you let me give you a hand? I promise you'll be safe.''

Misdreavus seemed to be thinking this over before nodding at last and floating towards Brock, who picked it up and turned around, leaving the onlookers surprised.

''I think our friend here got caught up in all the chaos before, Misdreavus was just spooked, no harm done.'' Brock stated.

''Sure looks like it.'' Ash agreed. When one thought of the mess resulting from Medicham's psychic powers earlier, they could see why that happening out of the blue could be scary. ''Misdreavus, since you're okay with staying around Brock, you mind coming with us so we can clear things with Nurse Joy?''

The little ghost type nodded meekly after a moment and they proceeded to do just that. Thankfully, any of the unease over the situation was quickly taken care of as Nurse Joy had was familiar with wild pokemon wandering into the center every now and then. She was quick to praise the way Brock handled things though, leaving him over the moon.

That was when they were found by Grace ''She's right, nice work back there, Brock.''

''Oh, thank you!'' To call Brock delighted right now would be a massive understatement. He was about to continue only to be surprised by Grace's admission that she had been meaning to invite them to dinner.

The others clearly hadn't expected this either but the excited Brock immediately responded ''We'd be delighted!''

* * *

Brock's enthusiasm aside, the rest of the group didn't have much of a problem with the idea and they got along nicely with Grace. The redhead was intrigued by May's plans regarding combination attacks and even encouraged her to work on them. She was complimentary of Brock's handling of Misdreavus as well, citing how the little ghost type appeared comfortable around him already.

A happy Brock was just about to try laying on the charm but was distracted when Ash spoke ''So I've been thinking, you've got a lot of experience, huh? I mean Medicham must be tough.''

''Sure is.'' Grace returned with pride, taking out her ribbon case to reveal that like Drew, she had three ribbons.

May found that the news didn't faze her as much this time, she was happy for Grace. It was hard not to like the friendly and bubbly girl. May was determined to catch up after all but she was just glad to have some friendly competition.

''So how about we do a little demonstration, May?'' The redhead suggested.

The brunette blinked ''What did you have in mind?''

''Something like this.'' Grace sent out Medicham. ''Use Ice Punch!''

Medicham leaped into the air and performed the attack, showing the beauty in the spark of its fist as it sparkled with energy. Grace commanded a Confusion next, which had it levitate up high, creating more sparkles as it danced with finesse.

''Whoa...'' Max trailed off.

''That was incredible.'' Brock stated while Misdreavus looked amazed.

The sight left everyone in awe as Grace smiled at her partner once it descended ''Good job.''

''My turn then, Beautifly come on out!'' May threw the pokeball and Beautifly emerged in the air, flying close to her then. ''We're going to do a little performance so let's kick things off with Gust and then use Silver Wind!''

The combination resulted in a glimmering silvery gale which faded away after a moment.

''Hey, that was pretty good!'' Ash smiled.

''All right, use String Shot and then try Tackle!'' May called.

Beautifly proceeded to release the string and dash forward as if it were using Tackle, but then they saw that the string was falling about in a mess, which made her tell Beautifly to stop.

''What were you going for there?'' Grace inquired.

''I thought maybe Beautifly could make a few simple shapes with the string real fast or something...'' May paused at her pokemon's downcast expression. ''...oh, don't feel bad. We'll just have to figure things out somehow.''

''Sounds about right.'' Brock agreed. ''Actually, the idea isn't half bad but you should probably work on raising Beautifly's speed first.''

''Got it.'' The girl returned.

Wally had an idea ''May, what if...?'' He whispered something in her ear while the others looked on curiously.

The girl perked up ''That's brilliant! Let's test it out. Beautifly, use Silver Wind but make sure to reduce its power.''

The pokemon was curious at this but decided to trust her so it released a light burst of Silver Wind that. May then had it use Tackle right towards the attack. It really seemed to work for a few seconds as Beautifly sparkled from the shine of the Silver Wind as it flew.

''Nice!'' Grace looked impressed.

''Yeah, good going!'' Max added.

''Now that's some combo!'' Ash grinned.

May certainly agreed, this proved Max was right. Talking to the others about her plans certainly helped. She had been so focused on whatever combination she could think of that she never tried to think outside the box. ''Thanks, Wally. It really is a great idea.''

The boy smiled in return and Grace spoke ''I think so too. It looks a little rough around the edges but if you work on it, this'll be a big hit.''

''Oh, I'll make sure of it.'' May returned brightly.

* * *

The next morning...

Ash, Wally, Max and Brock were in the contest hall, waiting for the event which was to begin in a few hours. Ash and Wally were showing Swablu around (since they all agreed that it was best for the cotton bird to know all aspects of a contest). Brock on the other hand, was seeing to Misdreavus, who had taken a shine to him, finding that the breeder was the reliable person his friends knew him to be.

Swablu seemed a bit unnerved at the amount of people surrounding them. Luckily, the group's presence was certainly helping her relax and learn what she could.

Max reading a guide to contests, wondering if there was anything here that would be good advice for May. He was distracted when his friends spotted Drew making his way into the hall, the boy also pausing in slight surprise when he saw them.

That was when things took a turn for the worse. Drew wound up starting an argument when he made fun of May, calling her a rookie who sooner or later, would be sure to fail. Naturally, the boys were never going to stand for that and they were soon all defending their friend.

Ash had enough ''You've been giving May a hard time since we met. What's your problem?''

''I'm just calling it like I see it. She doesn't stand a chance.'' He returned.

''Everyone was a beginner at one point, even you. That's why they're bound to make mistakes but that shouldn't stop them.'' Brock stated. ''That doesn't excuse your behavior one bit. May's been working hard and she keeps improving.''

Drew rolled his eyes ''Excuse me if I don't plan on making buddy buddy like you all do.''

''That's one thing but what you're doing is something else entirely. You haven't even seen much of her abilities. They're right, you're just being cruel.'' Wally pointed out, with Pikachu and Swablu crying out in agreement. There was no reason he had to be disparaging towards their friend after all.

''Yeah, you can't talk about my sister like that!'' Max snapped.

''I'll say whatever I want. It's nothing but the truth.'' Drew retorted.

Ash's eyes narrowed ''That does it, I challenge you to a pokemon battle!''

* * *

There was only way Drew would answer to that, thus they soon got to an open area not too far from the contest hall to battle.

Ash sent out Taillow while Drew used Roselia. The latter kicked the match off with his partner's Magical Leaf but Ash had Taillow dodge and retaliate succesfully with Quick Attack.

''Use Wing Attack!''

''Dodge and use Magical Leaf!''

Roselia jumped up in time and blasted Taillow with the flurry of glowing leaves. The force of which almost knocked Taillow to the ground but the pokemon quickly righted itself and flew up again. When Ash called for a Peck, Drew made no reaction.

This got the Kanto trainer suspicious. He had seen Drew battle before so he knew the boy was good, something just didn't seem right here.

After a moment of thought, he had Taillow cancel the attack and retreat from their opponent. But just as Taillow made to do that...

''Roselia, Stun Spore!'' Drew called.

Ash reacted quickly ''Keep flying, make sure to get away!''

It quickly became clear that Taillow canceling the Peck attack had been the only thing to spare it from the Stun Spore. Roselia sprayed the powder at quite a wide margin so it was only Taillow's early change of pace that allowed it to dodge in good time.

Max released a sigh of relief ''That was close.''

''Yeah, good thing Ash saw through it.'' Wally added.

Drew saw that Taillow was still a fair distance away, which was to their advantage ''Petal Dance, let's go!''

Ash's eyes widened when a multitude of pink petals appeared beneath Taillow and knew he had to do something now. Thankfully, one of the moves Taillow picked up recently was perfect for this situation. ''Taillow, Double Team!''

Drew stiffened in surprise when Taillow formed illusionary copies of itself, resulting in the Petal Dance taking out one of the copies. His eyes narrowed ''All right then, take them all out with Solar Beam!''

As he expected, the distance between the two pokemon along with the weather allowed Roselia to charge the move succesfully and fire it. The beam wiped out the clones and hit Taillow too but the pokemon soildered through the pain and pushed forward, much to Drew's surprise.

Max cheered at this while Brock began to smile. Taillow had actually been able to push through and continue the fight even after receiving the full brunt of Pikachu's Thunderbolt. The pokemon was just that stubborn so this didn't surprise him one bit.

Ash grinned ''Good job! Use Quick Attack!''

Taillow let out a battle cry before charging in at increased speed, dodging Roselia's attempt at pushing it away with a Petal Dance per command. Once it hit the mark, Ash ordered a back to back Wing Attack, which served to end the battle with him as the victor.

''All right!'' Ash smiled as Taillow flew over, holding out an arm for it to land. The pokemon seemed somewhat weary but still remained strong. ''Way to go!'' Pikachu added his own congratulations to which Taillow nodded back proudly.

Drew took the loss in stride, returning his pokemon ''You're not half-bad.''

Ash gave him a look ''We all work hard with our pokemon to improve, because we want to give our all in this journey. I know May feels the same way so we'd never just stand back and watch while you insult her.''

Silence reigned for a few moments, the others were quiet but there was no need to say a thing. Their expressions more than proved that they completely agreed with Ash on this one.

Unbeknownst to them, May had been watching all along. She wanted to intervene earlier but she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. Seeing how her friends stood up for her and how Ash fought for her sake made her heart soar. Making a mental note to thank them later, the girl walked away.

* * *

May was heading back to the contest hall when a commotion caught her eye. There were quite a few people gathered around a stall. What made her pause was that she remembered seeing a few of them on the field yesterday. This got her wondering, were they selling something that helps coordinators?

Now curious, the girl headed over to find out.

At the stall were two people advertising their special pokeblocks. May was immediately intrigued, having heard of the food from Wally and Brock. Gold pokeblocks which apparently make the pokemon look tough and cool while the silver pokeblocks make the pokemon cute and beautiful. They demonstrated the effect on a Wobuffet. After feeding it a gold one, the pokemon dressed up as a secret agent.

A good amount of people seemed to buy the whole thing, judging by the clear awe the crowd exhibited. May wasn't sure about this though. It looked to her as if all Wobuffet did was dress up, really. This didn't sound like what her friends mentioned.

The people really seemed to like the idea though, could she be overthinking this?

''Stop right there.''

Startled, May turned around to see Grace walking over with Medicham in tow, her expression stern. ''Don't be fooled. This is all a sham.''

''What?!'' A little girl cried.

A man stared ''What do you mean?''

The stall owners frowned ''Hey, where do you get off calling our hard work a sham?''

''Yeah, don't listen to her! We're doing legit work here!'' The second cried.

Grace remained unimpressed ''Medicham, Confusion.''

The move sent both of the owners flying into the air before Medicham released another burst of energy as it released the two. This served to destroy the stall, revealing a Wobbuffet and Meowth. The Meowth was holding a gold colored spray can, which was enough to tell everyone what was really going on here.

''Hey, that Meowth has a spray can!''

Meowth stiffened at this and tried to hide it, but it was too late.

''That girl was right, this is all a trick!''

Indeed it was, the culprits were none other than a disguised Team Rocket, who found that they had no choice but to shed their costumes. Not that it deterred them for long, for they were quick to launch into their motto with their usual flair, with Meowth using some robotic arms on their balloon to grab some pokemon. In seconds, the devices grabbed five pokemon, including Medicham.

May released Beautifly, she was about to call for an attack when Grace stepped in ''No worries, everything's fine.''

''That's right. For us that is, because we're about to win!'' James declared.

Grace gave a sly smile ''Oh, really?''

Medicham proved its trainer faith to be well deserved as it was able to destroy the arm holding it with a burst of psychic energy, to Team Rocket's shock. The evil trio could only watch as Medicham freed the other captured pokemon with ease.

''No!''

Jessie ground her teeth in anger ''Seviper, come on out and use Poison Tail!''

But Grace was ready ''Hi Jump Kick, now!''

Medicham leaped into the air, colliding with its adversary before sending the poison type flying back to the balloon.

Meowth recoiled ''Uh-oh, we better leave...''

''I don't think so! Beautifly, String Shot!'' May called.

Her pokemon quickly trapped the balloon with the string, only for it to be torn after James had his Cacnea tear it down.

''Good, now use Pin Missile!'' He added.

Cacnea held out its arms, sending out a flurry of shining needles at Beautifly, who countered with Gust on May's command. Grace had Medicham take care of Seviper and Cacnea with another Ice Punch, knocking them out. May called for a Silver Wind from Beautifly, which wound up sending Team Rocket blasting off again.

The brunet let out a breath and looked at Grace ''You sure came through there, thanks for the help.''

The older girl grinned ''Don't sweat it, May. Now we better go, it's contest time.''

May smiled ''Yeah!''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I actually intended to launch into the contest early on in the chapter but I didn't want to leave this stuff out either. Anywho, I thought I'd try to handle Drew a little differently in this story. Honestly, he kind of gets on my nerves at first but I couldn't help but wonder if one of the reasons behind his attitude had to do with him thinkning that May was taking being a coordinator too lightly. It's just an opinion though and I'm not even sure considering some of their interactions. But that got me thinking of a somewhat different spin on things with him. I know Ash lost to him in the episode over in canon but I didn't want to repeat that here so there we go._

 _Hm, that's all I had to say about the chapter. Welp, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it. Till next time!_


End file.
